Reference News Network, September 10 report. According to the U.S. World News Network, September 5 report, CNN once described Taiwan's traffic chaos as "pedestrian hell." Recently, German media reported that in 2022, there were over 375,000 traffic accidents in Taiwan, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths, which is more than the number of people who died in the U.S. "9·11" terrorist attack. The media advised travelers to think carefully before visiting Taiwan. In response, the Taiwanese authorities' transportation department admitted that there is still room for improvement.

The German media report pointed out that the main reason for the frequent traffic accidents in Taiwan lies in urban planning. On roads wider than 12 meters, nearly half do not have pedestrian walkways, only marked by green paint as a walking area. Even if there are dedicated pedestrian areas, they are often occupied by illegally parked motorcycles, street vendors, or temporarily parked cars, and the police turn a blind eye to such violations.

The report also mentioned that it is common to see motor vehicles and motorcycles running red lights, changing lanes suddenly without signaling, and not yielding to pedestrians on crosswalks. "Every time Taiwanese pedestrians go out, it's like playing a game of life and death." However, the police enforcement is insufficient, and the fines for violations are so low that it's a joke. The media advises travelers to think carefully before booking flights to Taiwan.

A official from the Taiwanese authorities' transportation department said that in recent years, after implementing relevant policies, traffic safety has shown visible improvements, with a decrease in the number of deaths and injuries from drunk driving, elderly drivers, and car and motorcycle accidents. However, the pace of improvement could be faster, and the strength and scope of the improvements could be greater. Regarding the issue of lax police enforcement, the official said that they have been in close communication with the Police Department.

An senior official from the Taiwanese authorities' tourism department said that this is a "one-sided misunderstanding" by foreign media, and that Taiwan's traffic has gradually improved. Compared to that, Thailand's traffic is much worse.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548269473170489919/

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