Published: 2026/8/30 12:53 Updated: 2026/8/30 13:14
Yu Yanci, Guo Junlin / Comprehensive Report
To strengthen retraining and correction of traffic violations, the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation will extend the training period for drivers who have violated regulations and are committing repeat offenses, starting at the end of September. For example, the training for drunk driving will be extended from the current 12 hours to 15 hours, hoping to improve behavior and reduce the possibility of recidivism.
Recently, a 63-year-old woman surnamed Lin from Kaohsiung was stopped by the police for turning right on her motorcycle without using her turn signal. Because the woman reeked of alcohol and was carrying a glass of alcohol, her blood alcohol level was found to be above the legal limit. Although this was the woman’s first offense of drunk driving, there is concern that other drunk drivers may repeat their offenses. The Highway Bureau plans to extend the training period for repeat traffic violators by the end of September.
A Taipei resident said, “The rate of people who quit drinking and then resume drinking shows that this training is useless.”
A New Taipei City resident stated, “It’s good that they actually listen, but I’m afraid it’s just a formality. I go to class, I sit there, and I don’t hear anything. What’s the point?”
The new measures to be implemented by the Highway Bureau in September include adding a new training class for repeat offenders under 18 years old without a license, requiring them to attend 6 hours of training. At the same time, the training time for repeat offenders will be extended from 4 hours to 6 hours. For repeat drunk driving offenders, the training time will be extended from 12 hours to 15 hours, affecting an estimated 28,000 people.
The Highway Bureau stated that considering drivers who have already received training but still re-offend, it indicates insufficient awareness of road safety. Extending the training time will aim to improve their behavior and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
Wang Po-Chi, Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University, analyzed, “Shouldn’t we make some changes to the content of our training sessions, instead of keeping it the same as before? Secondly, after extending the training period, shouldn’t we also regularly evaluate its effectiveness, instead of just reciting from the textbook?”
Experts believe that in addition to extending the training time, it’s crucial to regularly review the effectiveness of the training and conduct rolling reviews. Furthermore, factors contributing to recidivism must also be examined to effectively reduce the likelihood of recidivism.