In keeping with President Ma Ying-jeou's pledge to curb drunk driving, the Executive Yuan and various government agencies met today to discuss stricter rules and harsher penalties for offenders. The meeting, led by Minister without Portfolio Luo Ying-shay and attended by officials from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of National Defense and Department of Health (DOH), yielded the following decisions:
1.Tighten standards in Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of China and Article 54 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces so that drivers found with breath alcohol content of at least 0.25 milligram per liter, or blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent or over, would be subject to imprisonment of up to two years.
2.To complement stricter standards in the ROC Criminal Code, revise Article 114 of the Regulations Governing Road Traffic Safety to lower the punishable limit on breath alcohol content to 0.15 milligram per liter, or to 0.03 percent for blood alcohol content.
3.Add drunk driving to the list of reasons that justify preventive custody by incorporating the offense described in Article 185-3 of the ROC Criminal Code into Article 101-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
4.Step up publicity on preventive measures such as designating a sober driver or using taxi or driving service for impaired drivers.
5.The DOH will strengthen publicity on the harmful health effects of alcohol.
6.Agencies will work with legislators to push swift passage of the amendments.
As the Lunar New Year festivities approach, the Executive Yuan reminds the public to stay safe and avoid driving under the influence. And if a friend or family member has had too much alcohol, help them find safe rides home.