By KHT Staff. Image via Pingtung police shows the scene of a crash in Jhutian Township, Pingtung County, on July 8. The accident left three dead.
PINGTUNG — Pingtung County recorded 15 traffic deaths in the first 26 days of July, the county’s highest monthly total this year, according to a UDN report.
The county had recorded 13 fatal A1 traffic crashes by July 26, leaving 15 people dead. That compares with six fatal crashes and six deaths in July last year, meaning the number of deaths had more than doubled before the month ended.
One of the deadliest crashes occurred early July 8 in Jhutian Township (竹田), where a car and a scooter carrying two people collided at an intersection, killing three people, police said.
Another fatal crash occurred on July 17 in Jiuru Township (九如), where police said a drug-impaired driving case left one person dead.
Pingtung’s Transportation and Tourism Department said traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths had all declined in June compared with both the previous month and the same period last year. However, officials said heavier travel during the summer holiday period appeared to raise road safety risks in July.
Officials said June’s fatal crashes were mainly scooter crashes, which accounted for 75% of A1 cases that month. In July, officials said fatal crashes mainly involved scooters, elderly road users, intersection collisions, and single-person crashes. The deaths involved people aged 19 to 86.
The county said July’s fatal cases included four single-person-crashes, one drug-driving case, and one drunk-driving case, with crashes reported in Jhutian, Jiuru, Hengchun (恆春), and Donggang (東港), among other areas.
The county government said, among other measures, it will designate August as a strengthened distracted-driving prevention month, using schools, summer camps, social media, and local events to warn drivers against using screens on the road.
