'Foggy Road Traffic Accidents' Most Frequent in November... Fatality Rate 5 Times Higher

Analysis Results by the Road Traffic Authority

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] It has been found that traffic accidents caused by fog frequently occur in November, when the temperature difference between day and night is large and temperatures change rapidly. The Korea Road Traffic Authority urged drivers to be cautious of traffic accidents on foggy roads.

On the 16th, the Korea Road Traffic Authority analyzed traffic accidents by monthly weather conditions over the past five years and found that a total of 1,187 traffic accidents occurred on foggy days, resulting in 105 deaths and 2,057 injuries. Traffic accidents in fog were highest in November with 257 cases, followed by October (189 cases) and December (165 cases).

In particular, the fatality rate of traffic accidents on foggy roads (number of deaths per 100 traffic accidents) was 8.8, more than five times higher than on clear days (1.6). For pedestrian traffic accidents, the fatality rate rose as high as 25.

By time of day, 481 accidents (40.5%) occurred between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. It is analyzed that the risk of pedestrian accidents increases during dawn or morning hours when fog occurs because pedestrians crossing the road are detected late. The proportion of rear-end collisions was also higher on foggy days (23.8%).

The Korea Road Traffic Authority suggested six safe driving habits for driving safely on foggy roads: ▲ habitual use of headlights, fog lights, and width lamps ▲ driving in the driving lane ▲ securing more than twice the safe distance between vehicles ▲ paying special attention when driving on waterfront roads such as rivers, seas, and lakes ▲ securing sufficient distance before lane changes and overtaking ▲ continuously monitoring weather conditions and traffic information before and during driving.

A representative of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "Fog reduces visibility, so if you have fog lights, use them, and if not, turn on the headlights early and reduce speed using the center line, guardrails, lanes, and the rear lights of the car ahead as references. Then, open the window and listen while driving," and advised, "When you spot cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or pedestrians that feel dangerous, keep watching their movements without taking your eyes off until you judge it is safe. On curved or winding roads, always sound the horn to let others know you are driving."

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