Taiwan: land of the slap on the wrist

[Isha]

In Nangang, bus drivers routinely speedup to cross through the red light, so does scooters and others vehicles. The idea of slowing down on public crossing is remote to locals. Instead of slowing down, they speed up at the public crossing. Here, you got to watch out for yourself in every possible direction.

[touduke]

Instead of slowing down, they speed up at the public crossing.

they want to leave this potentially dangerous spot as fast as possible

[plasmatron]

Driving the 'ring road' freeways, 74/3/1 around Taichung city pretty much any evening of the week, but especially Fridays and Saturdays there are literally dozens of vehicles weaving and swerving down their lanes, either way too fast or way too slow, clearly under the influence. In over 10 years in Taichung I've also never seen a road block that you couldn't opt out of, the cops make sure there's a convenient right turn available before the checkpoint for anyone who doesn't want to be pulled over. The 'police' in Taichung are the biggest joke in Asia, with the 'judges' and 'city government' a close second and third.

[Belgian Pie]

Like TVBS ... A few stories make me almost cry. And they love to show the actual footage of crashes and injuries 10-15 even 20 times.

When you broadcast news in Taiwan 24/7 you have to get your footage somewhere, and this they have so they show that around the clock repeating every 30 seconds ... it's running a news channel as cheap as possible.

[Steviebike]

Like TVBS ... A few stories make me almost cry. And they love to show the actual footage of crashes and injuries 10-15 even 20 times.

When you broadcast news in Taiwan 24/7 you have to get your footage somewhere, and this they have so they show that around the clock repeating every 30 seconds ... it's running a news channel as cheap as possible.

Quantity over quality counts here.

Here are some interesting articles;

First from Australia and Taiwanese drivers
http://ozsoapbox.com/taiwan/culture/mem ... re-morons/

Here is one from Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003466349

The abstract is good reading
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1 ... 66#preview

Same old story been going on for years. We all know the answer, when will it change? Will it change?

[shengou]

In Nangang, bus drivers routinely speedup to cross through the red light, so does scooters and others vehicles. The idea of slowing down on public crossing is remote to locals. Instead of slowing down, they speed up at the public crossing. Here, you got to watch out for yourself in every possible direction.

I absolutely hate this. There's not a single intersection I go through without slowing down, now. Every time I go through an intersection I'm always insanely paranoid because so many idiots think it's perfectly normal to blow through red lights.

They also gun it the second the light turns green for them. I used to turn left at intersections, after seeing so many locals doing it, but now I don't for two reasons. One, there's always someone who goes through the intersection right after their light turns red. This makes it impossible to go immediately after your light turns green and then you get stuck going straight. Two, even if someone doesn't go through and block your way, the people in the opposite lane are gunning it and they're looking straight ahead, so they won't wait two seconds to let you turn unless you jumped the green light and gunned it too.

So now I turn right and then do a u-turn and wait at another red light. Two red lights just to turn left. Fucking hell I hate Taiwanese driving.

[bigduke6]

I was reading a drunk driving thread earlier about the dude who knocked someone over and can back and drove over him again to make sure he was dead.

The wife was telling me that, someone could be hit by another car, be dead as they fly through the air, land in oncoming traffic, I drive over them through no fault of my own, and I am now also responsible.

Alternatively, a 96 year old jumps a red light, I hit her, and I am now also responsible.

Back home, if someone jumped a red and I drove into them (killed them or not), I would not be held responsible any anyway at all. Who in their right mind would?

Many times I have nearly sent a geriatric to an early, if not well deserved grave, because they jumped a light, made an illegal turn etc etc.

[tsukinodeynatsu]

My husband tells me that the rule is 'if you hit somebody on their side, that means that they were in the intersection first and it's therefore your fault'.

[Belgian Pie]

Dead people are cheaper than invalid living ones ...

[headhonchoII]

Get a vehicle cam, cheap and effective record in case of accidents.