If You Spot a 'Roadkill' Animal While Driving... Report It by Voice Through Navigation System

Ministry of the Interior and Safety-Chungnam Province Pilot 'Baro Report Service' Using T Map

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] From now on, when drivers find animal carcasses killed on the road, instead of making a phone call or opening an app to report, they will be able to report by voice through the navigation system they are using.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Chungcheongnam-do announced on the 26th that starting from the 27th, they will pilot the "Animal Road Accident (Roadkill) Immediate Reporting Service," which allows convenient voice reporting while driving.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, last year there were a total of 17,502 roadkill incidents on general national roads and 1,866 accidents on expressways, showing an increasing trend every year. This not only causes damage to wildlife but also leads to secondary accidents when drivers suddenly brake or steer to avoid animals or carcasses.

Until now, even if drivers reported incidents, it was only possible via phone or smartphone apps, making immediate on-site reporting difficult. The agencies receiving the reports also took time to confirm the exact location of the roadkill.

In response, since 2018, government ministries including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, local governments such as Chungcheongnam-do, and SK Telecom have collaborated to build a system where drivers can report roadkill through SK Telecom’s in-vehicle navigation system (T map), which automatically connects to the national call 110 agency linkage system and then transfers the report to the road management agency responsible for the accident location. Drivers who find roadkill only need to say phrases like "Report roadkill" or "Submit roadkill report" to T map.

Chungcheongnam-do is cooperating with 15 cities and counties within the province to establish a prompt and accurate processing system for such roadkill reports. During the pilot operation period, they will comprehensively inspect the information transmission system and the difficulties faced by road agency personnel. The system will be continuously improved and is planned to be expanded to other regions starting in 2021.

Furthermore, plans are underway to collaborate with related agencies to enable linkage with other navigation systems besides SK Telecom’s T map.

Kim Hak-hong, Director of Regional Innovation Policy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "We will continue to expand opportunities for cooperation among the central government, local governments, and the private sector so that residents, experts, and local governments can solve regional problems centered on the demand side. In line with the government’s Digital New Deal, we will spare no effort to support the enhancement of residents’ convenience in daily life through digital technology that creates tangible changes for local residents."

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