Stricter Penalties for Drug Driving Approved by Executive Yuan

An officer shows how to use a saliva rapid drug test kit during a Police Day event at Taipei Railway Station yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

By Chung Li-hua and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Executive Yuan yesterday approved draft amendments that would allow courts to impose life sentences for repeat drug driving offenders in cases resulting in death.

A spate of drug driving cases has prompted the Executive Yuan to pursue amending the Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code and Article 54 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces （陸海空軍刑法） to crack down on drug-impaired driving.

Under the amendments, the penalty for drug driving would be increased to a maximum sentence of five years with a fine of up to NT$500,000 （US$15,807).

In cases resulting in serious injury, it would be increased to three to 10 years and a fine of up to NT$2 million.

For incidents resulting in death, the penalty would be set at five to 12 years with a fine of up to NT$3 million.

If an offender commits another drug-impaired driving offense within 10 years that results in death, they can be sentenced to between seven years and life in prison and fined up to NT$4 million.

If the second offense results in serious injury, the offender could be sentenced to five to 12 years and fined up to NT$3 million.

Under the amendments, vehicles would be confiscated in all cases of drunk or drug driving that result in serious injury or death.

The amendments are to be sent to the Legislative Yuan for review.

On Thursday last week, Premier Cho Jung-tai （卓榮泰） unveiled new measures to control the supply and use of etomidate, an anesthetic designated as a Category 2 narcotic that is used to make “zombie vapes,” which leave users feeling disoriented and can cause uncontrollable muscle spasms, sudden blackouts and impaired consciousness.

Etomidate, which has been linked to a number of drug driving incidents, would be upgraded to a Category 1 narcotic, with the manufacturing, transportation or selling of the drug punishable by death, Cho said.

The government would introduce 14 new measures across three areas: stopping supply of the drug at the source, enhanced enforcement and harsher drug driving penalties, he said.

Those involved in drug driving incidents resulting in death would also have their license revoked for life, he said, adding that the amendments are to be rolled out in stages.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES

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