Penalties targeting unlicensed drivers are to be enhanced to hold parents of children who drive without a permit to account, as part of amendments to be unveiled soon, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said on Wednesday.
The punishments stipulated by the Traffic Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) — stiffened as recently as last year — would be strengthened again by the planned amendments, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) told a routine news conference on Wednesday.
The ministry expects to submit a draft for the Cabinet’s approval as soon as this month, he said, adding that the changes being considered would bar people who drive without a license and cause death or serious injury from ever driving again.
Photo: Cheng Ching-yi, Taipei Times
Chen’s announcement came two weeks after a 15-year-old driving a sport utility vehicle without a license fatally hit three people dining at an eatery in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).
The government plans to require parents or legal guardians of minors who drive without a license to attend road safety classes, while vehicle impounding periods would be lengthened to ensure accountability, Chen said.
The proposed changes would authorize schools to add students who drive without a license to the watchlist for those requiring enhanced guidance, said Chang Ya-hui (詹雅惠), an official with the Ministry of Education’s K-12 Education Administration.
Education officials would implement the proposed legislative changes in collaboration with local governments and schools to help families monitor their children’s behavior, she added.
Ministry of Education policy states that schools are authorized to give students age-appropriate road safety education emphasizing situational awareness and rules-of-the-road with simulators, videos and classroom materials, Chang said.
Separately, the transport ministry announced the promulgation of new traffic laws enabling the government to increase the length of driving bans for people who cause traffic incidents that result in death or serious injury, starting yesterday.
Department of Public Transportation and Supervision Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said drivers responsible for incidents resulting in death or serious injury were previously allowed to reclaim their driver’s license after 12 years.
Now, such drivers would only be allowed to use a temporary driver’s license valid for one year and must demonstrate compliance with all traffic laws for another six years before being eligible for a permanent license, he said.
Changes to the law stipulate that violators would only qualify for a temporary one-year license and must have no traffic infractions for another six years before being eligible for a permanent license.
This means a 15-year-old who drives without a license and kills someone would not qualify for a temporary driver’s license until they are 27 and would not qualify for a permanent license until they are 33, Lin said.
People should not lend their vehicles to friends or family members who do not have a valid driver’s license, he said.
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