Lawmakers yesterday urged the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) to work with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to regulate online sales of so-called “miraculous self-driving devices,” which they said could compromise road safety.
TTSB Chairperson Lin Shinn-der (林信得) was invited by the legislature’s Transportation Committee to give a briefing about the agency’s performance in the past fiscal year.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) raised concerns about hazards that could be caused by “miraculous self-driving devices,” which drivers can purchase online for NT$300.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) is designed to relieve drivers’ burden, not to replace drivers, Hung said, adding that it has been proven that misusing ADAS could lead to traffic accidents.
Drivers are told that they must still place both hands on the steering wheel even when using ADAS, but the device can simulate the experience of hands on the steering wheels and essentially encourages drivers to remove their hands, making it a public hazard, Hung said.
Sales of the device continue despite the ministry warning sellers that it might contravene the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), Hung said.
The board should work with other government agencies to regulate the device and ban drivers from using them, he said.
Lin pledged to discuss the issue and possible solutions in one month with the transport ministry, the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Taiwan does not have a 100 percent autonomous driving system yet, Lin said, adding that cars in Taiwan have mostly auxiliary driving systems.
“We have investigated accidents related to the use of ADAS and published suggestions for improvement last year,” Lin said.
The Freeway Bureau has also posted reminders of the limitations of the automatic assisted driving system on electronic display boards on freeways, he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS