A traffic safety meeting yesterday claimed that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has met the government’s goals of reducing pedestrian fatalities, and is launching measures to implement pedestrian scramble and leading pedestrian interval lighting systems.
The overall mortality rate across January and February this year has been the lowest the nation has witnessed since 2019, a report said.
Over 30 days, there were 65,659 traffic incidents, up 339 compared with the same period last year, and down 969 compared with 2023, the report said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
A total of 87,289 people were injured in the incidents, down 302 compared with last year and 2,000 compared with 2023, the report said.
There were 469 dead, down 72 and 57 compared with last year and 2023, or a reduction of 13.3 percent and 10.8 percent respectively, the report said.
Pedestrian deaths stood at 62, down 20 and 11 compared with last year and 2023, or by 24.4 percent and 15.1 percent respectively, marking a new low, the ministry said.
Adolescent and child deaths resulting from traffic accidents, at 16, were down by one and two compared with last year and 2023, the report said.
In the A1 category of traffic accidents, the ministry recorded 416 deaths from January to March, down 37 and 81 compared with last year and 2023 respectively, while pedestrian deaths stood at 54, down 11 compared with both last year and 2023.
The A1 category refers to victims of traffic accidents who pass away within 24 hours of the incident.
In terms of counties and cities, Tainan saw the greatest increase in traffic-related deaths compared with last year, while Yunlin County recorded the highest increase in the number of pedestrian deaths, the report said.
In terms of traffic-related mortality rates per 100,000 people in January and February, Taitung, Nantou and Yunlin counties came top, while Taitung and Yunlin counties, and Keelung recorded the biggest increase in pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people, the report said.
The latest ministry surveys showed an 89.6 percent approval rating for leading pedestrian interval lighting systems to light up 5 to 10 seconds before green lights for vehicles, while there was 84.7 percent support for pedestrian scramble lighting.
The surveys showed that 29.5 percent of respondents supported the government prioritizing implementing leading pedestrian interval lighting systems, while 20.8 percent supported prioritizing pedestrian scramble systems.
Taipei has the leading number of pedestrian interval and pedestrian scramble lighting systems, while 6,091 locations with such systems had been implemented nationwide as of Wednesday last week, the ministry said.
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