New bicycle laws coming soon

These measures were announced in tandem with grim statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, which claimed a total of 664 people died and more than 27,000 people were injured in bicycle-related traffic accidents between 2003 and 2006.

While we applaud the authorities for their efforts, there are some unanswered questions related to enforcement. Will the crackdown include the many elderly people who ride slowly around parks? How will the authorities ticket a person not carrying an ID while cycling? As always, laws are easier made than enforced.

In many large Japanese cities, bicycles must be registered, as is the case for cars and motorbikes. The bikes must also carry a small license plate making ticketing for offenses and catching bicycle thieves much more feasible. It’s unlikely Taiwan is willing to take such drastic steps.

But any steps in the right direction are better than none, and changes must have their genesis somewhere. Saving 200-plus lives a year is worth some growing pains.

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