The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft amendment that would regard driving a vehicle under the influence of narcotics as an “offense against public safety” with a maximum three-year sentence and NT$30,000 fine.
Tests for drivers suspected of being under the influence of narcotics would be based on urinalysis, regardless of whether a driver was operating a vehicle dangerously or was involved in an accident.
The Executive Yuan said its approval of the proposed amendment showed the government’s “zero tolerance policy toward narcotics, deterring drug users from operating motor vehicles in a way that causes danger to other people.”
Photo courtesy of the Changhua County Police Department
The draft amendment aims to address concerns that the code’s threshold for determining drug use in drivers is too limiting to be effective, officials said.
However, they assured that police officers would not conduct random drug testing on drivers, but would base decisions on individual cases or conditions, such as discovering narcotics or paraphernalia in vehicles.
Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code says: “A person who uses drugs, narcotics or similar substances that prevent a person from driving safely” could be charged with an “offense against public safety” and face a three-year sentence, with a possible NT$30,000 fine.
The amendment was drafted after public safety advocacy groups said that driving under the influence of drugs is as serious as drunk driving and should have its legal threshold lowered, officials said.
The draft amendment is to be forwarded to the Legislative Yuan for approval.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
RSS