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.
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