TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pingtung County Police Bureau on Thursday urged the public to wear helmets when riding a motorcycle after a spate of fatal accidents.
According to Taiwan’s traffic laws, motorcyclists must wear a helmet. The bureau said in a press release that there were 20 motorcycle rider deaths last year because they were not wearing helmets, per CNA.
In an enforcement campaign from Jan. 6-8, the bureau reported 1,975 riders not wearing helmets. Last year, it said there were 25,508.
Pingtung County Police Commissioner Tai Tai-chieh (戴台㨗) said the goal is to educate drivers and reduce the number of people not wearing helmets when driving motorbikes. The bureau said it plans to intensify driver safety through community education.
Taiwan, with a population of 23 million, has over 14 million registered motorcycles, per Commonwealth Magazine. Although the Legislative Yuan amended traffic laws on May 14, the public can still report drivers without helmets.