Last Updated on 2025 年 12 月 2 日 by 総合編集組
From “Pedestrian Hell” to “Pedestrian Paradise”: How Taiwan Can Save Nearly 500,000 Lives Per Year Through Proven Redesign
Every year, Taiwan records approximately 479,231 traffic-related injuries and fatalities — a staggering figure that translates to one person being hurt or killed every 10 minutes. In 2021 alone, 2,962 people lost their lives, a death toll higher than the 9/11 attacks and roughly five times higher per capita than the United Kingdom. Even more alarming: 57.59% of all crashes occur at intersections, proving that the problem is not random driver error but systemic design failure.
The Root Cause: Car-Centric Planning That Treats Pedestrians as Second-Class Citizens
For decades, Taiwan’s road design philosophy has prioritized one thing: moving motor vehicles as quickly as possible. Wide lanes, large corner radii, and minimal pedestrian space became the norm. The result? Sidewalks are routinely blocked by utility boxes, tree bases, and illegally parked scooters, forcing people onto the roadway. Large turning radii encourage drivers to corner at high speed, creating massive blind spots and exposing pedestrians to extreme danger.
Motorcycles — Taiwan’s dominant transport mode — are forced into the same lanes as cars with almost no physical separation, leading to unpredictable weaving and side-impact collisions. Straight, overly wide arterial roads psychologically invite speeding, dramatically increasing crash severity when incidents occur.
How Bad Design “Teaches” Dangerous Behavior
Engineering flaws don’t just allow risky actions — they actively encourage them:
- Large corner radii → drivers rarely slow down when turning
- Blocked or narrow sidewalks → pedestrians walk in traffic lanes
- No physical barriers between cars and motorcycles → constant lane-filtering at high speed
- Wide, straight roads without calming features → unconscious speeding
These are not moral failures; they are predictable outcomes of poor infrastructure.
International Proof That Change Works
Cities worldwide have already solved these exact problems with proven, low-cost interventions:
- Curb Extensions (Bulb-outs) – Shorten crossing distances and force turning vehicles to slow down. New York and London report 30-50% drops in pedestrian crashes.
- Refuge Islands – Allow safe mid-block pauses on multi-lane roads (standard in the Netherlands and Denmark).
- Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) – Give walkers a 3–7 second head start. U.S. cities see up to 60% reduction in turning conflicts.
- All-Direction Pedestrian Phases (Scramble Crossings) – Full vehicle stop while people cross in every direction (famous in Shibuya, Tokyo).
- Raised Crossings & Lane Narrowing – Physically force lower speeds while reclaiming space for walking and cycling.
- Mandatory Road Safety Audits – Independent reviews before any new or rebuilt road opens (standard in Sweden and Australia).
A 10-Step Transformation Roadmap for Taiwan
To escape the “Pedestrian Hell” label, Taiwan must shift from a “Level of Service” mindset (how fast can cars go?) to a “Level of Safety” standard. Concrete actions include:
- Legislate minimum unobstructed sidewalk width (≥2 meters) and ban new above-ground utility boxes
- Install physical barriers for motorcycle lanes on all major arterials
- Retrofit high-crash intersections with curb extensions and refuge islands within 5 years
- Implement LPI and scramble phases at all signalized crossings in urban areas
- Restrict heavy vehicles from dense pedestrian zones
- Replace speed enforcement cameras with speed-reducing geometry
- Require Road Safety Audits for every public project
The Vision Zero Opportunity
Countries like Sweden and the Netherlands have shown that when safety becomes the primary design goal, road deaths can fall by 50–80% within a decade. Taiwan has the wealth, engineering talent, and political will — what has been missing is the paradigm shift.
Changing streets is not just about asphalt and paint; it is about valuing human life over seconds of travel time. With nearly half a million annual casualties on the line, Taiwan stands at a crossroads: continue defending a broken system, or become the next global success story in pedestrian safety.
The solutions exist. The data is undeniable. The only question left is: will we act?
