Police to Conduct Nationwide Highway Sobriety Check on the 25th

"Loosening of COVID-19 Restrictions? We Will Dispel Misunderstandings"

The police are conducting a sobriety checkpoint using non-contact breathalyzers.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the 25th, the police will conduct a simultaneous drunk driving crackdown at 76 tollgates (TG) and interchanges (IC) on highways in the Seoul metropolitan area.

This crackdown will involve a joint operation by the four metropolitan police agencies of Seoul, Southern Gyeonggi, Northern Gyeonggi, and Incheon, deploying 655 police officers and 220 patrol cars.

According to the National Police Agency, there were 17,247 drunk driving accidents last year, an increase of 9.8% compared to the previous year. The number of injured persons rose by 8.1% to 28,063 during the same period. The number of fatalities decreased by 2.7% to 287.

The police believe that the increase in drunk driving accidents was due to the spread of incorrect information that the police were not conducting drunk driving crackdowns because of concerns over COVID-19 transmission last year.

In particular, since the social distancing levels were eased differentially by region from the 15th of this month (Level 2 in the metropolitan area, Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas), the police report that drunk driving by people using entertainment facilities in non-metropolitan areas, rather than the metropolitan area, has increased.

In fact, during a nighttime drunk driving crackdown at highway entrances and exits on the 18th, a total of 31 people were caught: 16 with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher (license cancellation), and 15 with 0.03% to less than 0.08% (license suspension).

A National Police Agency official said, "To dispel the false rumors and perceptions that drunk driving crackdowns would decrease due to COVID-19, we plan to conduct continuous drunk driving crackdowns day and night wherever drunk driving is a concern."

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