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flapjack · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 4:51 am Post subject: Driving in Taiwan

Over the past 5 years I have learned a lot.
1) NEVER ever be in a hurry. Especially in parking situations.
2) Yet in Taipei, once on the road drive between 40 and 60 KM per hour. This will keep things going smoothly.
3) When people honk at you from behind, don't get angry, basically they are trying to warn you that someone is coming up from behind.
4) Usually people are behind schedule because they are super busy and children make them late.
5) NEVER drink and drive. You will need every bit of wit you can muster to keep up with things. Most importantly you might KILL a person.
6) NEVER drive while under the influence of MEDICATION. Please,take the bus or Taxi until you have finished.
7) YELLOW LINE on the curb means- one person must stay in the car in case it needs to be moved.
8)RED LINE on the curb means- do not park- at all.
9) WHITE LINE means- parking is allowed.
10) If you break these rules your car might be towed and impounded, which cost about 2,300 NT to get out.

Ther's much more,
but this is ok for starters. Any questions?

Toe Save · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:02 am Post subject:

11-20) Go with the flow.

sbettinson · Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Taichung

Here is my input:

When your traffic light goes green, go with extreme caution because on a number of occasions, someone in their big lump of a car, bus etc decides they can make it through their red light in time. I almost got creamed a number of times.

Where there are small back streets or roads with intersections that are not busy and there are/aren't traffic lights, slow down to allow for people who can just come across in front of you. Even if they see you they will still do it, so be aware.

NEVER EVER EVER jump a light because you think you can make it! If it is going to red then stop. If you are driving at a fast pace this is going to be harder to manage!

The last one is for the sake of all that is good, holy and blessed in this world, buy a decent god damn helmet! I am sick of hearing the, "but it's too hot wearing a full faced helment in summer." If you are unlucky and get into an accident your head is going to be the most important part to protect. You can make ammends with a broken leg, arm, rib etc but a broken skull has more serious implications. Not to mention ruining those dashing facial features. A half decent helmet can cost you a few thousand NT. Small price to pay to protect your brain.

Shaun

sbettinson · Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Posts: 81 Location: Taichung

Oh yeah,

one more addition. If you are thinking of driving stupidly or quickly through town please remember this the next time you do it:

How are your parents going to feel about organising the repatriation of your remains and the possibility of getting the horrid phonecall from someone who probably might not speak English as their first language?

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

Great stuff.

I'd also add: Get a license! It's not that hard and makes things a lot easier on you. Most of us foreigners don't get a license.

Also: Get out of the city sometimes! Driving a scooter up into the mountains and on the coast is a really great experience. It's a totally different feeling getting out of the city and a lot of fun.

BigWally · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject:

Just be careful of the crazy drivers on the ever so skinny mountain roads.... Confused

flapjack · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:17 pm Post subject:

Great additions,
I thought of another one. When pulling out of a parking space or changing streets always look left then right, then a quick glance all around, then left and right again, you never know when someone will pop out from someplace you never expected. And I mean all around, you might not expect a scooter buzzing off the sidewalk at forty clicks per hour but it happens. I have almost been creamed by people running red lights, too.
And another one is ALWAYS look around before you open your car door to get in or out. I knew a guy (local) who didn't and got his door smashed by a scooter.

That being said, "Happy Motoring Toto" and remember you're not in Kansas anymore.

Let's see there's ESL, TEFL, TESOL, ESP, ....

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

The advice given is good. But one thing to remember is to keep your cool, because in Taiwan, unlike the Western countries we are from, the rules of the road appear to be interpreted differently than the way we are used to....classic example is when the Taiwanese veer straight accross the road at traffic lights, paying little heed to the people who are already in the process of crossing...

Ghost used a bicycle and a scooter during the 2005-2006 school year in Taiwan....but used the bicycle 90% of the time, biking a 16km route daily (round trip) from Ching Shueh (Taichung County) to Providence University (on the outskirts of Shalu, going up toward Taichung).......ghost was the only student (foreign or Taiwanese) who used a bike to get to and from University....and ironically was able to get from door to classroom quicker by using the bike compared with the bus.....where wait times for buses and bus stops make the journey longer (and more expensive). The only caveat was the sweat gained on the journey, but ghost always brought a fresh change of clothing in its backpack to change into, once arrived at the destination.

During the year, one of ghost`s classmates at Providence University, from Paraguay, (studying Mandarin, like ghost), lost his life on a scooter.....and a few other students had accidents on scooters...more or less serious.....really one got the impression that almost everyone one spoke to had had at least one accident.....or more, some serious, requiring being sent home.

Ghost found it exasperating on the bike, at times, because scooters would accelerate past giving precious little space....resulting in a lot of fist waving and invectives from ghost to unsuspecting Taiwanese scooter hogs....

But ghost always made sure to wear bright, reflective clothing, and had front and back lights installed on the bike.....

Ghost tried to encourage able bodied Taiwanese University students to use bicycles instead of scooters, but the usual response from the Taiwanese was ``bikes are for children```and ``too tiring```.....confirming the basic laziness ghost suspected...of the Taiwanese students.....the fact that pollution and danger were direct contributors of scooter riding, was not thought of....by the Taiwanese, much to ghost`s regret...and really there is no excuse. Even in Tokyo, ghost noticed that the Japanese students used the ordinary bicycle a lot more, compared with the citizens of Taiwan.

One particular stretch of road (a downhill section from Providence University to Shalu) was particularly stressful because of the volume of traffic (cars, buses and scooters) and the speed gained on the downhill......mostly ghost stuck to the white lines on the extreme right of the roads.....

Another trick, which ghost found useful was to use ``side roads`` (much lighter traffic) which went in the same direction as the Taichung to Dajia route...ghost found many of the side roads astonishingly light in traffic, and this diminished the stress from being on the main roads.

ghost

Dr_Zoidberg · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 5:53 am Post subject:

It's always the times I forget to take my camera with me that I wish I had it. Just a few days ago was one such time. Why? Because what I'm about to describe will have far less impact than a picture of it would have had.

On Jongshan Road, just at the norhern outskirts of Cin Shuei, the police had half the road blocked off. As I rode by on my bicycle, I saw a scooter on its side in the middle of the road. Then I noticed an open-faced helmet lying nearby, the face screen covered in blood. Then I noticed two chalk outlines on the road, surrounding pools of blood. No other vehicle appeared to be involved.

My recommendation is to avoid scooters altogether. Yes, I have one, but I hardly ever use it. Like ghost, I prefer cycling. If I fall or get knocked from my bike while doing 8kmph I may be injured. If I fall or get knocked from my scooter while doing 60kmph I may be killed.

But if you are going to ride a scooter, listen to the good advice the other posters have offered.

I cannot stress this enough: Get a helmet. A real helmet, not the little skull caps the Taiwanese wear. And for Christ's sake, do up the chin strap.

Avoid traffic. Ride outside of peak hours and / or take the back streets.

Go slowly and proceed with caution. Remember: More haste, less speed. The locals pull out of driveways and hidden lanes without stopping, without slowing down, and without looking.

In Taiwan, you get only what right of way you can force. Yield it at all times. There's no point in being dead right.

dangerousapple · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 292

I tell my new teachers that they should consider every other driver around them to be dead drunk, and act accordingly. After 11pm on a weekend it's pretty much true anyways.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Some good advice there. Always be aware of car doors opening. Try to let it go when you get cut off in traffic. It is way too easy to get caught up in road rage here and Taiwanese can be quite vengeful. Also, if someone hits you just keep going. Stopping is an indication of guilt. Sad but true here.

babar6789 · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 69 Location: Japan

I should be moving to Taiwan soon but I haven't as yet passed my driving test. I also understand that I can't learn to drive in Taiwan until I have been there for at least a year.

Is not being able to drive in Taiwan going to be a problem? I was planning on taking the bus to work.

flapjack · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 10:08 pm Post subject:

Hi Babara in Scottland,
The bus and MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) are pretty good here and in a pinch a taxi now and then won't be very expensive.

So the answer is, "No". You can do fine without one. Although I would warn caution walking on the sidewalks. When walking on sidewalks ALWAYS be aware of what's going on around you. I always look over my shoulder if I am "changing Lanes" so to speak, for fear of being mowed down by a motorcycle or scooter on the sidewalk. Anyone who has lived and walked the streets here can tell you that.

I have had a few close calls with scooters on the sidewalks. I once purchased a new pair of earphones for my MP3 player and had them RIPPED out of my ears by a passing scooter only 5 minutes later. My earphones were destroyed and the scooter just kept going, he did look around and raise his shoulders as if to say, I know ahta I did but I can't stop to do anything to make up for it, then he was gone.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Taipei has a great public transport system. You can certainly survive here without your own transport. The rules regarding getting a scooter licence for foreigners regarding length of stay, ARC, are a little ambiguous.

Walking the streets here can certainly be difficult and hazardous. Sidewalks are scattered with obstacles including people riding their scooters and all smaller roads don't have sidewalks at all. Scooters often zip past narrowly missing me and sometimes even nudging me. Even as a pedestrian you can get road rage here. A trick I sometimes employ is to carry an umbrella. I hold it out on a slight angle forcing scooters and cars to make more of an effort to go around me. They often still hit the umbrella but that is better than hitting me.

Toe Save · Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:53 am Post subject:

I liken riding here to skiing. And it's open season on recreational skiers. Also, as the ski patrol is on a permanent "safety meeting" break, I highly encourage the running of red lights,... just not blindly. Slow down, look around, and if no one is barreling down on you, run it. Turn right on reds or proceed straight thru. If a light you are about to turn left at turns red, slide over to the other side and drive facing oncoming traffic and use the pedestrian crossings to make your "illegal" turn.

Specific advice to Hsin Hai Tunnel to Jiang Guo. Go halfway thru the Keelung Intersection on the advance arrow. Wait for westbound Keelung to get the red and (carefully) pass thru the 2nd half of Keelung. Saves you about 70 seconds.

Once you make the right jog and get thru the green light s at HoPing, open up full throttle and gun it for Hsin Yi. There is a silly little light, just before Hsin Yi. If you really open it up from HoPing, you can just make this light, giving you a full 30 seconds to go the extra 30 metres thru the HSin Yi green. Now, you have ample time to make it thru the Renai green.

If it is your will to take renai into the downtown area, you can also do a high speed run from the corner of ReNai/Song Jiang all the way to Roosevelt. But once you clear Lin Sen (full throttle and shifty "me first" moves will get you the yellow at best), you ease off and coast trying to time the Roosevelt change. Then it's quick hop to parking beside 228 Park.

And always look for shade. Even if you need to pop on the sidewalk to wait out a 65 second red in front of a Hang Ten, do it.

Do not obey the rules of the road as you know them. Always assume people will drive like I do and adjust accordingly.