TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese lawmaker on Wednesday (June 4) shared a quote from Switzerland's foreign ministry warning about the dangers of Taiwan's motorists to argue for better enforcement of traffic regulations.

On Wednesday, New Power Party Legislator Wang Wan-yu (王婉諭) on Facebook shared a post from a Taiwanese blogger who cited Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website as warning its citizens of the "unpredictable and often aggressive behavior" of many Taiwan drivers during rush hour traffic. It asserted that these driving habits "create a significant risk of accidents."

On her Facebook page, Wang wrote that when she went on a business trip to Switzerland, she found that as seen as she approached zebra crossings, cars would start to slow down several meters away, "It's really different from Taiwan!" She pointed out that in the past, thousands of people died in traffic accidents every year in Switzerland, but after it incorporated sidewalks and bicycle lanes into its constitution through a referendum, safety improved substantially.

She observed that walking through urban areas of Geneva, the sidewalks and bicycle lanes were very wide, making it "easy and comfortable" for pedestrians to traverse the city. However, in the case of Taiwan, Wang wrote that pedestrians have to maneuver through arcades, sidewalks, and arrays of various vehicles, while also being confronted with stairs, slopes, and obstructions, "like an obstacle course."

After visiting Switzerland and Denmark, Wang said she often thinks about ways of making Taiwan better. She said that with the passage of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, there are calls on the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of the Interior to more actively promote the improvement of pedestrian safety and incorporate the concept of "people-oriented transportation" into policies.

She closed by stating her wish that in the new year that "the central and local governments will show determination and courage to wash away the stigma of 'pedestrian hell.'" Wang added that she hopes in the future, countries around the world can "change their views on Taiwan's traffic."

The circled text under the header "Traffic and Infrastructure" from Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website reads as follows:

"The unpredictable and often aggressive behavior of many road users in rush hour traffic creates a significant risk of accidents."

(Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website screenshot)