On Friday, June 12, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) reiterated his call for repeat offenders of drug-driving incidents, as well as those who cause death or injury, to be punished severely regardless of the class of drug involved. This comes as the Cabinet is already pushing for stricter penalties for drug-impaired driving, following a new set of fatal accidents the previous day.

On Thursday evening, there was a fatal crash in Taichung where a man believed to be under the influence of ketamine crashed into a tree while racing another vehicle. On the same day, another driver in Taoyuan killed two bystanders and himself while fleeing a traffic stop, all under what police believe to be the influence of amphetamines. 

Just Thursday morning, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Criminal Code to significantly increase penalties for drug-impaired driving, including higher fines and life imprisonment for repeat offenders who cause death.

Speaking Friday morning, Premier Cho expressed his sorrow and grief over the two latest incidents. The premier pointed out that sentences will vary depending on the class of drug involved in the incident. However, he underscored that repeat offenders and those who cause death or injury under the influence should receive a stronger sentence regardless of the drug class. “Only in this way can we effectively curb the spread of this illegal behavior,” he said.