TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Minister of Transportation and Communications, Wang Kwo-tsai, on Wednesday (Oct. 18), indicated that the ministry's draft of the traffic safety basic law to enhance pedestrian safety in Taiwan aims to establish a people-centric traffic safety environment.
Wang stressed the proposed law's emphasis on humanistic ideas and fostering a road safety environment.
On Aug. 17, the Executive Yuan approved the draft, which was later sent to the Legislative Yuan for review.
Today, a public hearing was conducted by the Transportation Committee of the Legislative Yuan, with officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) explaining the proceedings.
Drawing a parallel with Japan, Wang highlighted that post the implementation of traffic safety measures in 1970, fatalities from traffic accidents in Japan were dramatically reduced from over 16,000 to 2,610 by 2022.
Deputy Minister of Education Lin Ming-yu asserted that traffic accidents are a significant cause of accidents among children and adolescents, suggesting the draft law would promote traffic safety education in schools.
Lin added that upon the MOTC's recommendation, the National Academy for Educational Research (NAER) integrated traffic safety education into textbooks.