I think the most dangerous, and worst part, about living in Taiwan is how dangerous the roads here are. That is the one thing I am still not comfortable with here.
Most people here ride scooters, like Vespas, but they are THE MOST unsafe drivers I have ever seen. They weave in and out of the tiniest spaces, drive on the wrong side of the road, and stop their scooters in the middle of traffic so they can talk on the phone. I ride a bicycle, so I am constantly dodging these people and also trying to not get hit by cars. No one seems to have any concern for their own safety, let alone anyone else's. Also, no one waits for the light to turn green before they go.
People in cars are just as bad too. They park wherever they please and reverse without looking around at all the people on scooters and bikes behind them. Instead of driving behind the scooters, they always try to go around them by driving in the wrong lane and I can't tell you how many times I have almost been hit by a car because of that.
One of the Taiwanese teachers at my school was in a horrible accident last week. She was riding a scooter and a truck got too close to her. Her handlebar got caught on the truck and it dragged her down the road and threw her off her scooter. She is in a coma and won't wake up, along with 5 broken ribs, a smashed in cheek, an arm broken in two places, and more. I will admit that I do not know her all that well, but she is such a sweet girl. It is scary when things like this happen to people you know. It is making me be extra cautious when I bike, but now I'm also more scared than I already was. I try to be as aware and as safe as I can, but you can never predict what other people are going to do.
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