Twice as many scooter and motorcycle riders were caught operating their vehicles under the influence of alcohol as drivers of other vehicles over the past four years, a study by Taiwan Against Drunk Driving (TADD) and Taipei City Hospital’s Songde branch found.
Two-thirds of those found guilty of driving under the influence (DUI) were riders of two-wheeled vehicles, most of whom had consumed beverages with an alcohol content of less than 10 percent.
Riders committing DUIs tended to be younger than drivers committing the offense, and most were single women, although drunk motorists were found to be more likely than drunk riders to reoffend in the same month, said study leader Huang Ming-chyi (黃名琪), a physician at the Songde branch’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Department.
The average age of drunk riders was 34, while the average age of drunk drivers was 42. Among the drunk riders, 51.2 percent had consumed beverages with an alcohol content of less than 10 percent before riding, while 45 percent of drunk drivers had consumed beverages with an alcohol content of 40 percent or more, said Songde branch physician Kuo Yan-chun (郭彥君), who helped conduct the study.
Drivers in the study also tended to drink at or near their place of work, which might be the reason they were more likely to reoffend in a shorter time, she said.
Drivers might also feel safer on the road than riders, which might cause them to underestimate the risks of drunk driving, she said.
Studies in other countries have found that accidents involving riders are 35 times more likely to be fatal, Kuo added.
Past efforts to combat DUIs in Taiwan focused mostly on drivers, which might have led to the relatively higher number of offenses among riders, she said.
The authorities should focus more on combating DUIs among riders, who not only have a greater risk of physical harm or death, but also typically have less financial means and are less capable of shouldering the cost of an accident resulting from a DUI, Kuo said.
Offenders often think that they are just “tipsy,” but still able to ride or drive, which puts them at greater risk, TADD member Chien Li-chien (簡立建) said.
In a study he conducted 20 years ago, Chien found that 27 percent of people hospitalized after a crash had alcohol in their blood, he said, adding that he hopes the pervasive habit of drinking alcohol will change.
Programs to help people break alcohol addiction are not covered by the National Health Insurance system, and county and municipal governments must generally fund their own programs, Huang said, calling on the central government to fund more programs.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS