137% Increase in Personal Mobility Device Traffic Accidents in Seoul Over the Past 4 Years

Focus in October... Be Careful from 6 to 8 PM

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Over the past four years, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices (PM), such as electric kickboards, in Seoul have increased by an average of 137% annually.

On the 15th, the Seoul branch of the Korea Road Traffic Authority analyzed PM traffic accident data from 2017 to 2020, revealing a total of 956 traffic accidents resulting in 1,027 casualties.

Traffic accidents caused by PM drivers increased from 29 cases in 2017 to 387 cases last year, an average annual increase of 137.2%. Cases where PM drivers were victims also rose from 20 to 193 during the same period, an average annual increase of 112.9%.

Number of Traffic Accidents and Fatalities by Year in Seoul City PM Traffic Accidents. [Data from Seoul Branch of Korea Road Traffic Authority]

By month, October accounted for the largest proportion of accidents. Based on last year’s data, PM driver-caused accidents accounted for 16.5% (64 cases), and PM driver victim accidents accounted for 16.1% (31 cases). Traffic accidents by time of day occurred relatively more frequently between 6 and 8 p.m.

Kim Yong-ho, head of the Seoul Regional Headquarters of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, urged, "Since PM traffic accidents increase in October when the temperature difference between day and night becomes severe, it is essential to wear helmets and avoid unlicensed driving and carrying excess passengers to prevent accidents." He added, "To operate PMs more safely on congested roads in Seoul, using bicycle-only lanes physically separated from cars and pedestrians would be an effective way to reduce accidents."

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