TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Yunlin County Police Bureau said Monday the county recorded an average of 168 traffic fatalities annually from 2022 to 2024.

According to the bureau, 64% of the county's traffic fatalities involved scooter-related accidents, making it the leading cause. Of those, 46% involved seniors, with single-vehicle crashes or intersection collisions being the most frequent, per CNA.

Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) said that Taiwan became a super-aged society this year, with seniors comprising nearly 21.4% of Yunlin’s population. To reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths among senior citizens and other vulnerable groups, she said the county government will conduct 20 road safety seminars through September.

Chen Chi-yu (陳其育), director of Yunlin County Government’s information department, said the county exceeds the national average in several traffic violations, including running red lights, drunk driving, not wearing helmets, failing to yield to oncoming vehicles, speeding, and improper turns.

Chen said the seminars will feature experts explaining traffic safety regulations. Participants will also engage in interactive simulations to recreate high-risk driving scenarios where accidents commonly occur.

The county government added that it will also offer traffic safety courses in multiple languages to help foreign workers better understand Taiwan’s traffic regulations.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications reported that Taiwan recorded 393,000 traffic accidents last year, resulting in 2,950 deaths and 524,000 injuries. Scooter-related accidents accounted for the highest number of fatalities at 1,858, followed by 366 pedestrian deaths and 160 deaths due to drunk driving.

The ministry added that Kaohsiung recorded the highest number of traffic fatalities last year, with 310 deaths, followed by Taichung with 288 and Taoyuan with 287. Taichung had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities with 55 deaths, followed by Taoyuan with 47 and New Taipei with 42.