Woman pays NT$180,000 fine for refusing breathalyzer, claims misunderstanding

A woman in her 60s, identified only as Ms. Wang, has paid a NT$180,000 fine for refusing a breathalyzer test in 2019. The fine was levied after she was stopped by police in New Taipei City's Sanchong District while driving. Wang claims she was wrongly penalized, stating she does not drink alcohol and mistakenly thought the police had permitted her to leave the scene.

The administrative enforcement agency, New Taipei Branch, had previously frozen over NT$70,000 of her bank deposits as part of the collection process. Upon receiving the notice, Wang contacted enforcement officers, expressing her dissatisfaction with the ruling. She maintained that she had stopped for the breathalyzer check as instructed but left because the police did not approach her for testing. She later discovered through traffic violation footage that police had tapped on her car window, but she did not hear it due to loud music playing inside.

Court documents revealed that the original ruling was sent to Wang's registered address in Keelung City. Despite not residing there, the delivery was deemed legal. Her administrative lawsuit was dismissed as time-barred, and subsequent appeals were also rejected. The New Taipei Branch confirmed the legality of the enforcement action after reviewing the facts.

Faced with the seizure of her bank funds and the risk of her accounts being frozen, Wang visited the New Taipei Branch on June 11. She explained her situation, emphasizing her belief that she was wrongly fined. She subsequently paid the full fine, using NT$120,000 in cash and NT$60,000 via credit card.