Taipei:Taiwan's Legislature has passed significant amendments to the Criminal Code, intensifying penalties for drug-impaired driving. The new regulations raise the maximum prison term from three to five years and introduce the death penalty for repeat offenders who cause death within a decade.
According to Focus Taiwan, the amendments were passed with backing from opposition lawmakers, primarily due to a joint motion by the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) to distinguish penalties for drug-impaired driving from those for drunk driving. Previously, Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code encompassed penalties for driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other substances under a singular provision, which did not include the death penalty.
The revised law now stipulates that drug-impaired driving offenses could result in a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to NT$500,000 (US$15,334), a significant increase from the previous maximum of three years in prison and a fine of NT$300,000. Offenses resulting in death carry a minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine of up to NT$7 million. Serious injuries caused by such offenses could lead to five to 12 years in prison and fines up to NT$5 million.
Repeat offenders causing death within ten years of a prior conviction or deferred prosecution for a drug-driving offense face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or at least ten years in prison, with fines up to NT$10 million. Those causing serious injuries face at least seven years in prison and fines up to NT$7 million. The amendments await promulgation by the president to take effect.
The legislative debate included discussions on the inclusion of the death penalty. TPP legislative caucus chief Hung Yu-shiang emphasized the party’s long-standing support for harsher penalties for drug-impaired driving, particularly for repeat offenders in fatal incidents, and viewed the amendments as a deterrent rather than retribution. Separately, Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung advocated for a zero-tolerance approach, though he suggested penalties should differentiate between intentional and negligent acts resulting in death and should not automatically involve the death penalty.
In a related case, the Keelung District Court sentenced a man to seven years and eight months in prison for a fatal crash while driving under the influence of drugs. The victim's daughter expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence and intends to appeal, questioning the defendant's explanation of being driven by an "inner demon" to use drugs.
A motorcyclist injured in the crash also plans to appeal the sentence, highlighting his ongoing suffering from irreversible injuries despite returning to work.
