"Last Year, 54.4% of Highway Deaths Caused by Cargo Trucks"…Police Announce Intensive Crackdown

On the 17th of last month, debris from the accident vehicles is piled up inside the tunnel on the Suncheon-Wanju Expressway where a multi-vehicle collision occurred. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Police Agency announced on the 9th that it will intensively manage freight trucks starting this month to reduce highway traffic accident fatalities.

The National Police Agency explained the background, stating, "More than half (54.4%) of last year's highway fatalities were caused by freight and special vehicles," and added, "With the recent development of transportation industries such as dawn delivery, speeding and overloading of small freight trucks under 5 tons have become frequent, making a response urgent."

The police plan to focus enforcement not only on speeding but also on violations such as driving in designated lanes and failure to maintain safe distances. Overloading beyond the cargo capacity and improper loading due to overloading will also be targeted. Additionally, considering that the maintenance condition of freight trucks affects traffic accidents, maintenance deficiencies such as worn tires and malfunctioning headlights will be subject to 'maintenance orders' to ensure improvements.

Use of 'video enforcement' utilizing black boxes and camcorders will also be expanded. From midnight to 8 a.m., when fatalities are concentrated, 'nighttime mobile speed enforcement' will be activated to raise awareness of speeding not only among freight truck drivers but also passenger car drivers.

The 'highway joint enforcement team,' which has been operating since last year, will increase its activities from once a month to twice a month, and on Fridays, when the most fatalities occur, a 'Focused Enforcement Day' will be held to strengthen joint enforcement with related agencies.

To prevent major accidents like the one that occurred last month in the icy section of the Suncheon-Wanju line, unmanned enforcement devices will be concentrated in continuous tunnels or downhill sections. In cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the 'variable speed limit' zones will also be expanded, and traffic restriction standards will be revised.

A National Police Agency official said, "Before the intensive enforcement, we plan to create an atmosphere where freight truck drivers practice safe driving through sufficient publicity," and urged, "Please actively participate in establishing a mature highway traffic safety culture."

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