Amendments cutting number of reportable traffic offenses

passed

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan passed amendments Tuesday that reduced
the number of traffic violations that can be reported to police by the general public
to 46.

The revisions to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act were made after
police complained of being inundated by traffic violation reports from regular
citizens.

Article 7-1 of the current Act stipulates that members of the general public can
submit factual accounts, evidence, and information regarding any traffic violation to
the authorities.

But the volume of reports has soared with the prevalence of mobile phones, rising
sharply from 1.53 million in 2016 to 5.98 million in 2020, with some of them
specifically sent to gain revenge.

The types of violations that can still be reported following the revisions include
certain moving violations, including riding a scooter without a helmet; lighting a
cigarette while driving; holding a mobile phone while driving; and zigzagging or
operating a vehicle in a dangerous manner.

They also include overtaking, making a U-turn or putting a vehicle in reverse in

violation of traffic regulations, and running a red light or traversing a railroad crossing
when the gates are lowered.

Some of the non-moving violations that people can still report are double parking,
occupying parking spaces designated for people with disabilities, and illegally parking
at bus stops, intersections, and fire lanes.

The revisions also stipulate that a vehicle engaging in the same kind of illegal
behavior can only be reported once every six minutes and only once per intersection.