Jeju Autonomous Police Unit Raises Social Distancing to Level 4...Crackdown on Drunk Driving

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Autonomous Police Unit (Chief Go Chang-gyeong) announced on the 18th that it will strongly crack down on daytime drunk driving following the upgrade to Jeju-style social distancing Level 4.

The Autonomous Police Unit stated that due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the Jeju area, social distancing Level 4 was implemented from midnight on the same day. With an increase in private gatherings during the day, there is a high possibility of so-called 'daytime drinking and driving,' so daytime crackdowns will be intensified.

This drunk driving crackdown will be conducted using non-contact breathalyzers to minimize contact, and the checkpoint locations will be changed every 30 minutes to 1 hour, employing a spot-check method.

Looking at the statistics of drunk driving traffic accidents caused by offenders over the past three years, out of 322 cases in 2018, 89 cases (27.6%) occurred during the day; out of 296 cases in 2019, 79 cases (26.6%) occurred during the day; and out of 362 cases last year, 95 cases (26.2%) occurred during the day, showing a consistently high proportion each year.

In particular, among daytime drunk driving traffic accidents, those occurring under severe intoxication (blood alcohol concentration of 0.1% or higher) accounted for 69.6% in 2018, 75.9% in 2019, and 68.4% last year, indicating that drunk driving during the day is a very serious issue.

Go Chang-gyeong, Chief of the Autonomous Police Unit, said, "Since vehicle traffic volume is higher during the day than at night, it inevitably leads to major traffic accidents," and added, "We will eradicate daytime drunk driving through strong crackdowns."

He further added, "In the current situation where COVID-19 cases are surging, people should refrain from private gatherings as much as possible, and under no circumstances should drunk driving be committed."

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil panax33@asiae.co.kr

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