Highway Occurrence Investigation in Taiwan
摘要
Taiwan is one of the first Asian countries to join the International Transportation Safety Association (ITSA) and is also one of the few countries to establish an independent investigation authority with a comprehensive scope of different transportation models, including aviation, maritime, railways, and highways. Initially, the Aviation Safety Council (ASC) was established in Taiwan in 1998 and played a vital role in aviation occurrence investigation. The ASC has reorganized into the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB), separated from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and under the administration of Executive Yuan, in 2019. Since then, the Highway Occurrence Investigation Division of TTSB has investigated 13 highway occurrences, 10 of which have been completed. It also issued 132 highway safety recommendations. Most of the cases can be classified into different categories, and the diversity of collision patterns and safety recommendations are crucial references for the authorities concerned. The TTSB has urged the Taiwanese government and the public to put more emphasis on certain Transportation Safety Issues through not only occurrence investigation but also the Safety Issues of Concern and the Interim Safety Bulletin. Currently, only a few countries have relevant investigation experiences of electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. Taiwan is also establishing its investigation skills for alternative fuel safety and automated safety technologies to improve transportation safety.