Taiwanese lawmakers are calling for harsher penalties for drunk drivers, including longer prison sentences and even the death penalty. Lawmakers met on Thursday in response to public demand for a crackdown on drunk driving after several fatal accidents in December.
The KMT is proposing for the typical 3-10 year prison sentence to be extended to at least 12 years, with a possibility of a life sentence or even the death penalty. However, some politicians have reservations about such a severe punishment.
Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang says he respects the new proposals and is open to discussion, but says he believes it is unconstitutional to sentence those responsible for fatal drunk driving accidents to death. Chen says that while murderers in Taiwan may receive life sentences or the death penalty, these intentional murders are not the same as drunk driving accidents.
Another judicial officer, Chou Chan-chun, says that stricter laws against drunk driving have caused these accidents to steadily decrease every year since 2017. However, Chou also says that drunk drivers on scooters tend to be poor and the main provider for their families. Therefore, locking these drivers up permanently could have detrimental effects on families that already lack economic stability.