十年來，在我國每年無辜死於酒後駕車的人，連帶所造成的受害人家屬的身心傷害，完全無法估算。名人如媒體名嘴、政治人物酒駕肇事新聞，還是時常充斥媒體。多數國人對酒駕心存輕忽、僥倖的心態，已使酒駕成為我國當今非常嚴重的社會問題。

在犧牲了一位臺大醫院的曾御慈醫師之後，四年來我們無時無刻不在檢視，這個社會有什麼改變？

她的老師柯文哲醫師與許多認同預防倡議的人士共同創辦了臺灣酒駕防制社會關懷協會，而一夕白髮的曾媽媽陳敏香女士出任理事長，這項反酒駕的社會運動於是揭竿而起。這項搶救更多人免於酒駕傷害的完全利他的社會運動，由眾多已受害的當事人及家屬再次站出來見證，無非是要喚醒眾人的良知良能，大家一起重建「酒駕零容忍」的生命價值防線，在這個社會樹立一項新的文明指標。

於今，超過二萬六千名公民在國發會的「公共政策網絡參與平台」提案連署，要求針對酒駕、兒虐、性侵罪犯增設「鞭刑」刑罰。提案連署雖是以「鞭刑」為訴求，我們察覺到眾多公民在幾乎無法再容忍酒駕的社會創傷壓力下，這項訴求的起心動念是社會全面性的無可掩飾的公民的憤怒。我們要對這些眾多的熱心公民表示敬意，同時我們要呼籲政府正視：如果無法遏阻接連不斷的酒駕傷人殺人的風氣，這股對酒駕零容忍的公民力量即將引爆。

不同於一般的交通事故，因酒駕肇事而傷亡的憾事是可以預防的，如果我們每個人都認知酒駕零容忍，如果我們每個人都在心中劃一道酒駕零容忍的防線。

一旦酒駕肇事，一切都後悔莫及了！酒駕肇事者的事後四部曲─道歉、下跪、賠償、坐牢，對受害者及家屬都於事無補，對整個社會都於事無補，也就更難以警惕世人不酒駕。

試問：政府還能做什麼？在立法院上個會期，有陳曼麗、時代力量黨團、親民黨黨團等立委提案，針對「道路交通管理處罰條例」有關酒駕防制處罰者超過十五項修法內容是或增訂「同車共責」或加重酒駕者各種處罰。我們迫切地要求執政黨全面執政全面負責。酒駕防制相關條例修正案已是國會跨黨派的難得的共識，應列為優先法案促成在本會期三讀通過付諸實行。

酒駕致人於死的最高刑罰修法提高為十年，是為「曾御慈條款」。曾御慈醫師遇難四年來，法官未曾重判肇事者這項所謂的「曾御慈條款」。試問：法官的判決為何總是偏離公民的期待？

酒駕是自殺，酒駕也是無差別殺人，因為人命關天哪！反酒駕運動是一項人權運動，敬邀這次提案連署的公民們與我們同行，致力於「零酒駕」的目標。

We can count how many innocent people are killed by drunk drivers in Taiwan each year, but no one can measure the physical and mental trauma that such incidents inflict on victims’ families.

There are frequent news reports about well-known people, such as media pundits and politicians, getting into trouble for drunk driving.

Most Taiwanese do not take drunk driving seriously and drivers think they can get away with it. Such attitudes make driving under the influence an extremely serious social problem.

Four years have passed since 2013, when National Taiwan University Hospital trauma surgeon Tseng Yu-tzu (曾御慈) lost her life in a drunk driving incident, and during that time we have been closely watching to see whether social attitudes have been changing.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) — who was Tseng’s teacher at the time, before he was elected mayor — along with many other people who supported the prevention of drunk driving incidents founded Taiwan Against Drunk Driving.

Tseng’s mother, Chen Min-hsiang (陳敏香), whose hair turned white overnight after Tseng’s death, became its director-general. This is how a social movement arose against drunk driving. It is an altruistic movement whose sole purpose is to save people from being harmed by drunk drivers.

Many victims and their family members have stood up to tell their stories, with no other purpose than to rouse the public’s innate moral sense so that people will establish and defend the principle of zero tolerance for drunk driving and make it a new measure of social civilization.

More than 26,000 people have signed a proposal on the National Development Council’s “Join” online public policy participation platform, calling for caning to be added as a possible punishment for people found guilty of drunk driving, child abuse or sexual assault.

Although the petition demands caning, we have the impression that many Taiwanese can no longer tolerate the social trauma caused by drunk driving, and the motivation behind that demand is widespread anger that cannot be concealed.

The public should salute these passionate people and call on the government to face the problem square on, because if it cannot stem the tide of repeat incidents of injury and death caused by drunk driving, the civic force of zero tolerance for drunk driving will soon explode.

Unlike traffic accidents in general, injury and death caused by drunk driving are preventable. They can be prevented if people recognize the need for zero tolerance for drunk driving and make it a line that cannot be crossed.

When a drunk driving incident happens, it is too late for regret.

The four-act play that the culprits of drunk driving incidents act out — apologizing, kneeling in penance, paying compensation and going to prison — is of no real benefit to victims and their families or to society in general, and it has little effect as a deterrent to driving under the influence.

What else can the government do? During the latest session of the Legislative Yuan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Man-li (陳曼麗), and the New Power Party and People First Party caucuses proposed amending parts of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) concerning the prevention of drunk driving and penalties for related offenses.

They have proposed more than 15 amendments that involve adding clauses that make all passengers in a vehicle driven by a drunk driver criminally liable and imposing heavier penalties on drunk drivers.

 

We demand that the ruling DPP, which has full control of the legislative and executive branches of government, bear full responsibility for the progress of this bill. There is a rare cross-party consensus for the proposed amendments, so the bill should be given priority and passed during the current legislative session so that it can take effect as soon as possible.

The amendment that previously increased the heaviest criminal penalty for causing death by drunk driving is known as the “Tseng Yu-tzu clause.” However, during the four years that have passed since Tseng was killed, no judge has handed down the maximum penalty allowed by the clause to someone convicted of drunk driving.

Why are judgements so different from what ordinary people would want them to be?

Drunk driving is suicidal and it is also indiscriminate to the taking of life. Life is precious, so the campaign against drunk driving is a campaign for human rights.

People who signed the petition for caning are respectfully invited to join us in endeavoring for the goal of zero tolerance for drunk driving.

Vino Lin is secretary-general of Taiwan Against Drunk Driving.

Translated by Julian Clegg

中文版-
自由時報刊登連結:
http://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1156423?utm_source=LINE&utm_medium=APP&utm_campaign=SHARE

英文版-
Taipei Times刊登連結:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2017/12/06/2003683499/1

註:圖片翻攝自自由時報