Hualien cited for highest pedestrian death rate in Taiwan

Hualien County has been identified as having the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities per capita in Taiwan during the first five months of 2026. Official data reveals that four pedestrians died in traffic accidents in the county between January and May, resulting in a rate of 1.28 deaths per 100,000 people.

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Police are continuously reviewing and analyzing the causes of accidents. The main causes of fatal accidents from January to May this year include failure to yield, failure to pay attention to the road ahead, violating traffic signals (signs, lines), and speeding.

Alarmingly, all four pedestrian fatalities were individuals aged 65 and older. This demographic also accounts for a significant portion of all traffic fatalities in Hualien, with 16 out of 30 deaths involving individuals over 65. The statistics highlight a critical issue concerning the safety of elderly residents, who constitute 21.52% of Hualien's population.

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The elderly are indeed the highest proportion of those who died, and the elderly are still the key target group for current traffic accident prevention work.

The Hualien County Police Bureau acknowledged the concerning statistics, particularly the disproportionate number of elderly victims. They stated that accident causes are under continuous review, with primary factors including failure to yield, failure to pay attention to the road ahead, violating traffic signals, and speeding. The police emphasized that elderly individuals remain a key focus for traffic accident prevention efforts.

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Police emphasize that using the number per 100,000 population as a comparative indicator between counties makes it easy for Hualien County, which has a small population base, to see its ranking surge if the number of deaths slightly increases or decreases.

However, the police also pointed out that using per capita death rates can be misleading for areas with smaller populations like Hualien. A slight increase or decrease in the number of deaths can significantly impact the per capita ranking. They noted that compared to 2023, Hualien County saw a 14.3% decrease in traffic fatalities within 30 days in early 2026. Despite this, the bureau stressed its ongoing commitment to reducing traffic fatalities, recognizing each death as an irreparable loss to a family.

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Compared to the same period in 2023, Hualien County's traffic accident deaths within 30 days from January to May 2026 decreased by 14.3%. Every fatal traffic accident is an irreparable pain for a family, and reducing the number of traffic accident deaths remains an important goal for the police's continuous enforcement efforts.