More than 70 percent of pedestrians who were killed in traffic accidents in Taipei in the past three years were 65 or older, Taipei Department of Transportation statistics showed on Tuesday.
From 2016 to last year, of the 84 pedestrians who were killed in accidents in the city, 61, or 72.6 percent, were aged 65 and over, the department said in a report submitted to Taipei City Council’s Transportation Committee.
New Power Party Taipei City Councilor Sabrina Lim (林亮君) said that one reason older people are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents is that the pedestrian signals do not stay green long enough for them to cross the road, suggesting that signal timing be adjusted.
The duration of green lights are determined based on a walking speed of 1m per second, department Commissioner Chen Shyue-tair (陳學台) said.
The department would adjust the speed to 0.5m or 0.8m per second at intersections more frequently crossed by older people, such as those near temples, markets and hospitals, he said.
It would also promote pedestrian safety through the city’s Meal Sharing for Seniors program with events at parks and at other locations, he added.
Campaigns to raise awareness of road safety primarily focus on drivers’ behavior, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Wang Chih-ping (汪志冰) said.
However, many pedestrians use their phones while crossing the street or stroll along the crosswalk, she said.
As opposed to more “static” ways of promoting road safety, such as images, text or videos, Wang suggested using human billboards or face-to-face communication at major intersections to educate the public.
Chen said that the department would further assess the situation and not rule out any form of communication.
The Taipei Police Department on Jan. 18 began a campaign to advise pedestrians aged 65 and older about how to safely cross the road.
From January to March, it stopped 618 pedestrians to remind them of traffic regulations, it said.
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