The nation last year failed to meet its annual goal of reducing traffic-related deaths by 7 percent, despite an overall downward trend, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
Last year, 2,858 people were killed nationwide within 30 days of traffic accidents, down 3.1 percent and 5.5 percent compared with 2024 and 2023 respectively, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) said.
“We will work with local government officials and enhance the enforcement of improvement measures,” Chen said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
The Cabinet had aimed to reduce traffic-related deaths last year by 15 percent compared with 2023.
Other goals include lowering traffic accident deaths by 50 percent by 2030 and to zero by 2050.
Ministry data showed a downward trend in traffic-related deaths involving motorcycle riders, older people, drunk drivers, pedestrians and minors, Chen said.
Deaths caused by drunk drivers were down 43.5 percent from 2023, while the deaths of minors were lower by 22.4 percent and 24.4 percent compared with 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Department of Railways, Highways and Road Safety Director-General Wu Tung-ling (吳東凌) said the nation has made substantial progress in curbing the rise of traffic accident deaths involving minors, drunk drivers and pedestrians, but deaths involving motorcycle riders and older people remain high.
“The most common types of traffic accidents were single-vehicle crashes, such as self-skidding and collisions with objects. We are seeing more unlicensed motor vehicle operators as well,” Wu said.
“The focus of the road safety campaign this year would be reducing traffic accidents involving motorcycle riders and elderly people through road improvement projects, education and law enforcement,” Wu added.
Meanwhile, New Taipei City, Keelung, Chaiyi City and Tainan saw a rise in deaths recorded within 30 days of traffic accidents, while pedestrian deaths rose in Taichung, Yunlin County, Chiayi County and Kaohsiung, ministry data showed.
Kaohsiung topped other cities and counties with 307 people killed in traffic accidents last year, despite a decrease compared with 2024.
It was followed by 304 in Tainan and 291 in Taichung.
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