Jeju Police to Conduct 'Special Crackdown on Drunk Driving' Until January Next Year

Published 01 Nov.2021 11:35(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] Jeju Police Agency (Chief Kang Hwangsu) announced on the 1st that it will conduct special crackdowns on drunk driving during the year-end and New Year holidays and the implementation of the ‘gradual recovery of daily life’.

This drunk driving crackdown will be conducted for three months until January 31 next year, focusing on high-risk drunk driving areas such as entertainment districts and restaurant areas, with plans to continuously change the crackdown times and locations.

Nationwide, this year’s drunk driving traffic accidents have decreased in both the number of occurrences and casualties compared to the same period last year, with deaths decreasing by about 44%, showing the highest reduction rate since the peak in 2000 (1,217 deaths).

This result appears to be significantly influenced by changes in drinking culture due to ‘social distancing’ caused by COVID-19.

In the Jeju area, the number of drunk driving traffic accidents decreased by 18.8% compared to the same period, while the number of deaths increased by 75%.

There were a total of 7 deaths: 4 people died in 2 single-vehicle accidents caused by drunk driving, and 3 people died after being hit as pedestrians.

All 7 cases occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day, mainly during late-night hours.

Since the beginning of this year, the police have used improved performance compound detectors to continuously conduct crackdowns while paying attention to COVID-19 infection prevention, resulting in a total of 1,391 cases being cracked down on, an increase of 335 cases (31.7%) compared to 1,056 cases during the same period last year.

A Jeju Police Agency official said, “Drunk driving is a ‘serious criminal act’ that can instantly take away not only one’s own precious life and property but also those of others,” and added, “Please do not forget that crackdowns can happen anytime and anywhere, and even if you have one drink, never get behind the wheel.”