Taiwan's opposition parties are pushing to make drugged driving that kills someone punishable by death, while the ruling party says it's open to tougher penalties but wants a careful debate first.

• The KMT and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) are each pushing amendments to raise penalties for driving under the influence of drugs that results in death, with the death penalty as the maximum sentence.
• The TPP's version targets repeat offenders specifically, while the KMT's draft would also allow large fines on top of prison time or execution.
• The ruling DPP says it has zero tolerance for drugged driving and supports higher penalties and fines, but argues punishment should be proportional and distinguish between intentional killing and death caused by negligence.
• A DPP legislative leader said he was surprised the TPP suddenly backed the death penalty option after not proposing it initially, and stressed criminal law changes need rational, not populist, debate.
• The DPP says it has no fixed position on whether the death penalty itself is the right tool, even if it ends up supported as a response to public demand.

Outlook: The proposals will go through further legislative debate, with the final penalty level still unsettled.