18,011 Traffic Safety Standard Violations Last Year... 21.5% Increase Compared to Previous Year

Korea Transportation Safety Authority Announces 2020 Vehicle Safety Inspection Results

Source: Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] The Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced on the 9th that in the 2020 vehicle safety inspections, 10,203 vehicles were caught violating safety standards, illegal tuning, and other offenses, and a total of 18,011 violations were subject to corrective actions. This represents a 21.5% (3,193 cases) increase compared to the 14,818 vehicle safety inspection cases in 2019.

Last year, the number of vehicle safety inspection cases by type was ▲ safety standard violations 16,019 cases (88.9%), ▲ illegal tuning 1,719 cases (9.6%), and ▲ license plate violations 273 cases (1.5%). Among these, the safety standard violation category, which accounted for the largest proportion, included ▲ illegal lighting installation 4,565 cases (28.5%) and ▲ lighting damage 3,637 cases (22.7%) at high rates.

In the illegal tuning category, the highest proportions were ▲ arbitrary modification of cargo loading devices, including the auxiliary support called ‘panspring’ for cargo trucks, with 554 cases (32.2%), and ▲ arbitrary modification of seating devices such as seat removal with 539 cases (31.4%). In the license plate violation category, the analysis showed ▲ unidentifiable license plates 129 cases (47.2%), ▲ seal damage and detachment 93 cases (34.1%), and ▲ license plate damage 51 cases (18.7%) in order.

An official from the Authority explained, "Among all inspection items, violations related to lighting, such as illegal lighting installation, lighting damage, alteration, and arbitrary modification, account for about 58% (10,453 cases) of the total." They added, "This causes glare to other drivers during nighttime driving, hindering safe driving at night, and makes vehicle identification impossible, which can lead to traffic accidents. Therefore, drivers are required to comply with tuning standards and conduct regular management."

Vehicle safety inspections aim to secure traffic safety by preemptively removing risk factors from vehicles that violate vehicle management laws, such as safety standard violations and illegal tuning, which may interfere with the operation of other vehicles or cause danger. Since 2005, the Authority has been conducting joint inspections with the National Police Agency and local governments, and since 2018, following amendments to the Vehicle Management Act, the Authority has independently conducted inspections regarding compliance with vehicle safety standards.

When violations occur in each category, illegal tuning is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW; safety standard violations are subject to fines of up to 1 million KRW, restoration orders, and temporary inspection orders; and license plate violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or fines of up to 10 million KRW (in cases of forgery or alteration, imprisonment of up to 10 years or fines of up to 100 million KRW).

Kwon Yong-bok, the Director, stated, "Vehicles that do not comply with safety standards can affect other vehicles and pose a serious threat to public safety." He added, "Going forward, the Authority will continue to expand vehicle safety inspections through cooperation with the National Police Agency, local governments, and related organizations to create a safe traffic environment for the public."

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