Judge Overturns Four Traffic Fines Issued at Tainan's 'Twisted' Intersection

A foreign motorcyclist in Tainan was initially fined five times for allegedly failing to signal a lane change, but a judge has since overturned four of those tickets after reviewing the intersection's unusual layout. The rider, identified as James, received the citations between March 24 and March 31 of last year after navigating a uniquely shaped intersection on Lin Sen Road Section 2 and Dongning Road.

According to the report, the motorcyclist was accused by a "whistleblower" of changing lanes without using a turn signal. However, James contested the fines, leading to an administrative lawsuit. The高雄高等行政法院 (Kaohsiung High Administrative Court) examined Google Street View imagery of the intersection.

The court found that the intersection was not a "standard square cross shape." The judgment detailed that the motorcycle lane was extremely narrow next to the road shoulder before the intersection. Consequently, the motorcycle lane was forced to "shift entirely to the left," preventing a straight path. The judge reasoned that to navigate safely through such a complex intersection, a rider would naturally need to briefly use the road shoulder and proceed at a slight angle, a maneuver that should not be confused with a standard lane change.

While the Tainan City Transportation Bureau insisted that any movement from the outer lane into the slow lane or crossing the boundary line constituted a lane change requiring a signal, the judge disagreed. The court emphasized that the intersection lacked "guide lines" to assist drivers. The judge concluded that the rider's brief diagonal movement along the shoulder to accommodate the road's peculiar configuration did not make the rider's intended direction unclear to other vehicles, nor did it endanger traffic safety. As a result, four of the five original fines were revoked.