Kaohsiung Reported 23 Pedestrian Deaths in 2021 高雄去年行人死亡車禍23件 逾半是長者

Among 23 pedestrian deaths in Kaohsiung in 2021, more than half was the elderly. The Police Traffic Corps also found that the cause of the pedestrian accident was mostly not using crosswalks and failure to pay attention to cars when crossing. 

A man crosses the road to go to the post office on the opposite side of the street. There are also people riding bicycles in the opposite direction, almost getting hit. Random road crossings are quite common, but can be fatal. According to the Kaohsiung City Police Department Traffic Corps, the elderly accounted for more than half of pedestrians that died in traffic accidents last year.

Kuo Wen-chun, Head, Traffic Safety Div., Traffic Police Corps, Police Dept., Kaohsiung: “A total of 186 A1 traffic accidents occurred in 2021, causing 188 deaths. Among them, 23 pedestrians died and 13 were elderly citizens.”

The police said that most pedestrian accidents resulted because pedestrians did not follow crossing regulations and use crosswalks. Or, they did not pay attention to vehicles when crossing. Police said it will increase to strengthen law enforcement and urge motorists to yield to pedestrians. Qianzhen Precinct found that the proportion of elderly traffic accidents in the area increased during commuting time and lunch.

Elderly Citizen: “The cars here are in a hurry to overtake and drive fast. So it's dangerous for you to walk across, which I disagree with.”

Elderly Citizen: “It's dangerous. Because sometimes we can't see clearly around us, so collisions happen.”

Elders said that they still choose to use crosswalks for safety but they also found that some crosswalks are too far away, which is a burden for elderlies with limited mobility. It is hoped that the government will also consider the needs of the elderly when planning crosswalks. 

 

想到對面郵局辦事，男子直接穿越馬路，還有民眾騎腳踏車逆向，險些被撞。隨意穿越馬路的狀況相當常見，卻可能致命，高雄市警察局交通大隊統計，去年行人因交通事故死亡的事件中，高齡者比例超過一半。

高雄市警局交通大隊交安組長郭文俊表示:「110年全年總共發生186件A1類交通事故，造成188人死亡，其中行人死亡23件，13件為高齡者。」

高雄市交通大隊表示，肇事原因多為行人沒依規定走斑馬線，或是穿越時沒注意來車，將加強取締，也呼籲駕駛禮讓。前鎮分局發現，轄區內65歲以上長者，近來出現交通事故比例升高，尤其是上、下班及中午吃飯時段。

一名長者表示:「車在同時進行的時候，你穿過去，這邊的車著急要超車，或是著急要過去，你穿過去，這個很危險，這個我很不同意這麼做。」

也有一名長者認為十分危險:「因為我們周邊有時候會看不清楚，所以有的會相撞。」

長輩說，為了安全還是選擇走斑馬線，但也發現有些斑馬線距離太遠，對行動不便的年長者而言，也是一種負擔，希望政府劃設時，能考量年長者需求。