Major Traffic Reform Implemented Across Taiwan! Immediate Penalties for Violations: 'Fines of 12,000 NT$, License Revocation, and Driving Ban' – Passengers Also Held Liable

To curb the extremely hazardous behavior of drug-impaired driving, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan formally passed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act on the 28th. This revision significantly strengthens penalties for drug-impaired driving, changing the penalty for causing serious injury or death due to drug use while driving to a 'lifetime ban on reapplying for a driver's license.' For the first time, strict provisions such as 'preventive license revocation' and 'mandatory vehicle confiscation' have been introduced. The Ministry of the Interior subsequently issued a statement pledging full cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation to implement supporting measures and collaborating with the National Police Agency's saliva-based rapid drug screening program to demonstrate the government's determination to enforce a 'zero tolerance for drug-impaired driving.'

No cap on fines for drug-impaired driving! Road Traffic Act amendments pass third reading: Refusal to test results in initial fine of 270,000 NT$, passengers also penalized

Previously, drug-impaired driving typically resulted in license suspension for 1 to 2 years. This amendment elevates both criminal and administrative penalties to the highest level:

- First-time offense: 120,000 NT$ fine for motorcycle drivers, 150,000 NT$ for automobile drivers. For slow vehicles (e.g., bicycles, micro electric two-wheelers), fines range from 2,400 to 12,000 NT$, with immediate driving prohibition. - Increased penalties for repeat offenders: For each subsequent offense, an additional 90,000 NT$ is added to the previous fine amount, with no upper limit on cumulative fines. - Fines doubled for refusal to test: First refusal incurs a 270,000 NT$ fine; second refusal, 450,000 NT$; and each subsequent refusal adds 180,000 NT$ to the previous amount, also with no cumulative cap. For slow vehicles, refusal results in a 24,000 NT$ fine. - Joint liability for passengers: To strengthen social deterrence, passengers aged 18 or older who knowingly ride with a drug-impaired driver will be fined between 6,000 and 15,000 NT$ (exemptions apply for those aged 70+, individuals with intellectual disabilities, or public transport users).

Major revisions to license control! Introduction of 'preventive revocation,' lifetime ban for causing injury or death

License management has been overhauled to replace previous lenient restrictions with strict revocation and preventive mechanisms:

- Immediate license revocation: Any driver caught drug-impaired or refusing a drug test will have their license immediately revoked and will be ineligible to reapply for three years. - Lifetime reapplication ban: Drivers convicted of repeat drug-impaired driving or causing serious injury or death due to drug-impaired driving will be permanently banned from reapplying for a driver's license after revocation. - Preventive revocation mechanism: Police may revoke a driver's license preventively upon confirmation of drug use, with a two-year ban on reapplication. - Enhanced penalties for unlicensed driving: Driving without a license during the revocation period incurs increased fines—up to 36,000 NT$ for regular vehicles and 80,000 NT$ for large vehicles, with no cumulative cap. If a revoked driver operates someone else's vehicle and reoffends, the fine is increased by half.

Vehicle confiscation regardless of ownership! Reapplying for a license requires 'treatment + one-year observation period'

To completely cut off the means of transportation for drug-impaired drivers, any vehicle—regardless of ownership—will be confiscated by law enforcement if the driver is caught under the influence of drugs or refusing a drug test.

Additionally, the requirements for reapplying for a license after revocation are extremely strict. Drivers must first complete designated programs such as drug-impaired driving prevention education, observation and detoxification, mandatory rehabilitation, addiction treatment, or drug harm awareness courses. Even after passing the re-examination and obtaining a license, drivers must undergo a 'one-year observation period with no further drug use' post-issuance. Failure to comply will result in license revocation.

The Ministry of the Interior emphasized that drug-impaired driving poses a greater threat to public safety than drunk driving. The National Police Agency will continue to promote scientific 'saliva-based rapid drug screening' nationwide, expand enforcement operations, and eliminate any侥幸 mentality regarding drug-impaired driving.