Over 40,000 vehicles use Southern Taiwan’s Expressway 88 each day. Spanning over 22 kilometers, Expressway 88 is a critical transportation route connecting Kaohsiung and Pingtung. An expressway is, essentially, a smaller version of a freeway, and higher speeds are often allowed than on regular roads – additionally, heavy motorcycles are allowed to use expressways.
Too many drivers, however, treat the rather narrow Expressway 88 as a freeway and drive on it at unsafe speeds. As such, the Directorate General of Highways has announced that effective April 1st, 2025, the maximum speed limit for trucks over 20 tons will be reduced to 80 km/h, while the limit for regular vehicles will remain unchanged at 90 km/h – but police say there will be more vigorous enforcement of the 90 km/h limit for regular cars. This year, the policy will be expanded to seven expressways across the country. The adjustment comes as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety in Taiwan, and the govt says similar speed reduction measures for heavy trucks implemented on other expressways have resulted in a significant decrease in traffic accidents. To prepare drivers for the change, an educational campaign will run from January to March 31. Starting April 1, the new speed limits will be enforced, with updated signage installed along the route.
(Image via Wikimedia Commons/Info via KH City Govt – AmCham Kaohsiung)
