Increase in Online Complaints, Decrease in Drunk Driving Traffic Accidents... Police Also Practice 'Social Distancing'

18.5% Increase in Police Civil Complaint Portal Users
One Month Since Shift from Blanket to Selective Drunk Driving Checks
Daily Average Drunk Driving Accidents Decrease by 23.7%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the police, who have frequent contact with the public, are also participating in 'social distancing.' Except for essential activities such as emergency response and investigations necessary for maintaining public order, efforts are being made to minimize contact with citizens in general administrative civil complaints and drunk driving crackdowns.

According to the National Police Agency on the 6th, the number of users of the 'Police Civil Complaint Portal' site, which receives police-related internet civil complaints, increased by 18.5% from 1,071 cases in the first and second weeks of last month (February 2-15) to 1,269 cases in the third and fourth weeks (February 16-29). This indicates an increase in administrative processing using the internet instead of visiting police station civil complaint offices in person. The Police Civil Complaint Portal is a window where general administrative civil complaints related to the police can be applied for, such as issuance of driving record certificates, road construction reports, objections to driver's license dispositions, and reports of children's school buses. Including external site links, it supports the reception of 48 types of civil complaints. A police official explained, "We are urging people to use online services as much as possible unless it is an urgent civil complaint."

Selective drunk driving crackdowns, implemented since the early stages of the COVID-19 situation, are also continuing. To reduce contact with the public, the police have stopped mass checkpoint-style crackdowns and are focusing on vulnerable areas such as entertainment districts and vulnerable times. Instead of using breathalyzers repeatedly on multiple people, they are using breathalyzers with disposable mouthpieces to eliminate the risk of infection.

There were concerns that drunk driving might increase due to this, but so far, operations have been running without significant problems. From January 28, when selective drunk driving crackdowns were introduced, to February 29, the average daily number of drunk driving crackdowns was 234 cases, a 28.8% decrease compared to the previous period (January 1-27). Drunk driving accidents also decreased by 23.7% during the same period, averaging 29 cases per day. The police plan to maintain selective drunk driving crackdowns until the infectious disease crisis level is lowered or other changes occur.

The Road Traffic Authority, a subordinate organization of the police, has also taken measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The scheduled Saturday driver's license tests at nationwide driver's license examination centers on the 14th of this month have been temporarily suspended, and safety education for elderly drivers will be suspended until the end of April. Additionally, the police and the authority agreed to extend the validity period until December 31 for 180,000 people whose driver's license aptitude tests or renewal periods expire between February 23 and June 30.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.