Amendments to the Criminal Code on drunk driving offenses passed initial review at a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee yesterday, with a proposal that would increase maximum prison terms for first-time offenders to three years.
Most of the lawmakers in the review said they agreed that tougher sentencing for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) is required to deter such behavior.
The discussion focused on amending Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code, with the Ministry of Justice providing recommendations in a report.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The article sets out the punishments for people convicted of driving a motor vehicle if their “exhalation contains alcohol of 0.25 milligrams per liter or more, or the person’s blood alcohol concentration is 0.05 percent or more,” or there are other circumstances that show they have “consumed alcohol or other similar substances which prevent the person from driving safely,” or “the person uses drugs, narcotics or other similar substances that prevent the person from driving safely.”
The article stipulates stricter punishments if the offense results in death or serious physical injury, and has a five-year clause defining what constitutes a repeat offender.
The ministry recommended that first-time DUI offenders receive a maximum three-year sentence, up from two years, in addition to a fine of up to NT$300,000 (US$10,830), up from NT$200,000.
For a first-time offender involved in a fatal crash, the ministry recommended increasing the maximum fine to NT$2 million on top of the article’s prison sentence of three to 10 years, and NT$1 million in addition to the one to seven-year sentence if the offense results in serious physical injury.
The ministry also said that the time defining a repeat DUI offender should be extended to 10 years, with the cap on fines in such cases increasing to NT$3 million for a fatal crash and NT$2 million for causing serious injury.
The article does not stipulate additional fines for repeat DUI offenses, which carry a five-year to life sentence for a fatal crash, and three to 10 years for causing serious injury.
Lawmakers approved the ministry’s proposed amendments.
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