According to the latest figure released by the Office of Military Education and Training(OMET), accidents caused by traffic violations increased considerably by the end of last year, involving at least 150 students, with one fatal casualty, 23 critically wounded and 126 suffered from minor injuries. Although the rate of fatality dropped from those of the previous year (which was 5), the number of critical injuries in fact increased by 14 cases. As a result, OMET is warning students about the importance of following traffic rules.

Students who were involved in the accidents occurred last year, 32% of them studied at the College of Management, 26% at the College of Engineering, and 16% at the College of Foreign Languages. Understandably, they were mainly the first and second year students who did not know the surroundings so well. Head of the Student Guidance Section, Kao Yan-yu, named some of the places that are known as the “blind spots” for these new comers with Ming Chuan Road being the number one spot, followed by Cheng-de Road and Tam Chin Road. Other roads such as Shui Yuan Street, Syue-Fu Road, and Da Zhong Street that are right next to the university are trouble spots as well because of the narrowness and poor road condition. On top these problems, motor scooters parked on the sides of these roads illegally have notoriously blocked traffic and caused traffic accidents. Therefore, Kao reminds students not to do so under any circumstance.

Furthermore, OMET has made April the month of traffic safety, with three presentations lining up between 4/7 and 4/11 to hammer the message home that safety comes first on the road. Between 4/28 and 5/4, there will an exhibition of traffic safety. More important, the university is also offering legal consultation when necessary. Students can download a form from the website of Guidance Section and send it to B402 for such appointments. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )