DUIs Up 23% Year-on-year in Kaohsiung 高雄酒駕今年前10月逾9千件 較去年增23%

To reduce the number of DUI cases, the Kaohsiung City Government now offers a NT$3,000 bounty to those who give tips to report drunk drivers.
 

A car crashes into the guardrail of an election stage at high speed. This DUI just happened in October. According to statistics, Kaohsiung police caught 289 drunk drivers in October. Although this is fewer than in October 2021, the number of DUIs in the first 10 months of the year saw a year-on-year increase of 23 percent to 9,145. To reduce the frequency of DUIs, the city launched a "report a drunk driver" campaign in August.

Kuo Yen-wei, Traffic Police, Kaohsiung City: “Tipsters should provide the time and place of the incident and the drunk driver's license plate number, along with the make and color of the car and which direction the car was headed in. And then, after they report the driver, the police will investigate and disburse the reward in accordance with relevant laws.”

Those that witness drunk driving are supposed to call a police station or the 110 hotline and provide police with the time and location of the incident along with the license plate number, make and color of the car. They are also required to leave their own name and contact information. Rewards range from NT$1,000 for DUIs involving scooters to NT$3,000 for DUIs involving cars. Police say people that are in the same car or on the same scooter as the drunk driver or friends and family of the drunk driver are not eligible for rewards. Meanwhile, city residents say the initiative is impractical and maybe even pointless.

Ms. Chen, Citizen: “You're trying to get out of the way so you don't get hit. When are you supposed to find the opportunity to report them? It's only a possibility if you're on the sidewalk and you're a witness or something.”

Mr. Chan, Citizen: “If you don't (report) this, it will keep on happening.”

The campaign was launched in August, but Kaohsiung police have not received a single report to date. With year-end banquet season approaching, police hope citizens can take advantage of the program while urging drivers not to get behind the wheel when under the influence.

汽車高速往前衝，沒剎車直接撞上護欄，這是10月底才發生的酒駕汽車撞選舉舞台事故，而一般路上臨檢到的酒駕更是不勝枚舉。高雄10月酒駕件數289件，雖比去年同月少，但1至10月總件數高達9145件，比去年同期多了23%。為阻止酒駕，高市府8月首創酒駕檢舉獎金。

高市交通大隊執法組警務員郭彥維說明：「民眾須主動提供酒駕的時間、地點、車牌號碼，車輛的種類、顏色，還有行車的去向。然後檢舉完之後，由我們員警查獲，我們就會依據（《獎勵檢舉辦法》）此辦法，頒發相關獎勵金。」

民眾目擊酒駕，可向分局或110報警，提供發現時間、地點跟車牌等資料，並留下名字、電話，警方抓到後，機車可拿到1000元獎金、汽車3000元。警方提醒，這個獎金不適用搭酒駕者車輛的親友。而民眾擔心被撞，表示看到酒駕會先閃避。

民眾陳小姐表示：「你就只是想閃他，你怎麼還會想去檢舉他？除非是說，你是在人行道看到他的話，可能就是他飄啊或什麼，你才會想去檢舉他。」

民眾詹先生則認為：「如果你不去做（檢舉）這件事情的話，這個問題就會一直存在。」

獎金能成為檢舉動力，但由於民眾普遍不知道這個資訊，目前還沒收到檢舉件數。但年底尾牙、聚餐的酒駕高峰期又快到了，警方除了鼓勵民眾看到酒駕勇敢檢舉，也呼籲駕駛千萬不要酒駕，以免受罰。