Drunk Driving Recidivist Refuses to Pay Fine; Taipei Branch Seizes Insurance Cash Value to Collect

Central News Agency (Taipei, 29th) A 40-year-old man, a repeat drunk driving offender, refused to pay a NT$180,000 fine for refusing a breathalyzer test. The Taipei Branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency initiated enforcement, but the man ignored the notices. After the Taipei Branch seized his insurance policy's cash surrender value, the man eventually paid the fine in full through his spouse.

The Administrative Enforcement Agency's Taipei Branch issued a press release stating that to curb the trend of drunk and drug-impaired driving and ensure the rights of road users, they are actively cooperating with the Ministry of Justice's 115th-year traffic project to strictly enforce the collection of overdue fines from traffic violators.

According to the press release, the man had previously been sentenced to six months in prison for drunk driving. After his release, he did not repent and was caught drunk driving again. To avoid criminal liability, he refused the alcohol concentration test on the spot and was fined NT$180,000 under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act. He failed to pay the fine on time and the case was transferred to the Taipei Branch.

After accepting the case, the Taipei Branch immediately enforced the seizure of the man's bank deposits and monthly salary. However, there were only meager deposits in his account, and upon learning that his salary had been garnished, the man simply quit his job and ignored all notices and enforcement orders from the Taipei Branch.

The Taipei Branch investigated the man's property and income declarations and discovered that he had purchased high-value life insurance policies from several insurance companies, accumulating a significant amount of cash surrender value. They issued an enforcement order to seize the cash value. Seeing that his long-term insurance contracts would be terminated and the cash value seized, the man contacted the Taipei Branch through his spouse and voluntarily paid the overdue fine in full.

The Taipei Branch urges the public that drunk and drug-impaired driving not only endangers one's own safety but also seriously threatens the lives and property of other road users. Do not take chances. Fines for traffic violations should be paid promptly. If one cannot pay in full due to financial difficulties, they should proactively contact the agency to apply for installment payments.