Taxi Crashes Through Exterior Wall from 5th Floor... Addressing Safety Concerns of 'Above-Ground Parking Lots' to Prevent Major Accidents

In the section turning right to exit, a taxi crashes through a wall and falls into the middle of the road... 8 casualties
Experts say "Accident-prone area requires fall prevention facilities"

On the 30th of last month, a taxi fell from the 5th-floor parking lot of a large supermarket onto a road in Yeonje-gu, Busan, and police officers and firefighters are managing the accident scene.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] An accident occurred at a large mart in Busan where a taxi broke through the outer wall of the parking lot and fell, raising concerns about the safety of "above-ground parking lots." It was confirmed that there were no special safety facilities to prevent vehicle falls in the parking lot at the time of the accident.

Experts suggested that since safety accidents in above-ground parking lots occur quite frequently, it is necessary to expand safety facilities to prevent major accidents caused by vehicle falls.

On the 30th of last month, a taxi broke through the outer wall and fell from the 5th floor parking lot of a large mart in Yeonje-gu, Busan. The taxi, which fell into the middle of the road, bounced up, rolled over once, and then crashed into about 10 vehicles waiting at a traffic signal. The taxi was completely destroyed to the point where its shape was unrecognizable.

As a result of the accident, the male driver in his 70s was taken to the hospital but ultimately passed away. Additionally, seven people, including pedestrians near the accident site and drivers and passengers in other vehicles, sustained minor injuries. If the taxi had fallen on top of the vehicles waiting at the signal, it could have led to a much larger casualty, making it a harrowing accident.

According to Yeonje Police Station, the accident occurred at a right-turn section leading down to the parking lot exit. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but the police estimate that the taxi, after starting, drove at a high speed for about 3 to 4 seconds and failed to turn toward the exit, breaking through the wall and falling. The police are investigating the cause of the accident from various angles, including vehicle defects and driver inexperience.

Among citizens, voices expressing unease about using above-ground parking lots are emerging. Although this accident may have been caused by driver fault such as speeding or inexperience, unpredictable accidents like sudden unintended acceleration can happen anytime and anywhere, and above-ground parking lots carry a high risk of leading to major accidents such as falls.

The parking lot wall where a taxi crashed through the exterior wall and fell./Photo by Yonhap News

According to local governments, there were no fall-prevention structures or safety facilities installed in the parking lot at the time of the accident. Current parking lot laws stipulate that for parking structures of two or more floors, they must be built to withstand a frontal collision by a 2-ton vehicle at a speed of 20 km/h or have protective fences or fall-prevention facilities installed, but this was not followed.

It has been pointed out that if fall-prevention facilities had been installed at the time of this accident, the tragedy of the taxi breaking through the outer wall and falling from the 5th floor could have been prevented. However, the mart side stated that although there were no fall-prevention safety facilities in the parking lot, the parking lot walls were built to the strength level described in the current law, capable of withstanding a frontal collision by a 2-ton vehicle at 20 km/h, according to the local government.

However, experts pointed out that even if the parking lot wall at the accident site complied with current laws, it would have been insufficient to prevent a fall in the event of a vehicle collision. Professor Jeon Seung-gon of the Department of Construction Safety and Disaster Prevention at Chungnam Provincial University said, "The parking lot wall where this accident occurred appears to be made of concrete blocks, but to prevent such accidents in advance, that level of strength is not enough," adding, "Considering the size of vehicles, walls that can withstand impact up to a certain height or curbs to prevent collisions must be installed to prevent fall accidents."

It was also raised as a problem that the current parking lot law enforcement regulations do not consider location characteristics such as "places with high accident risk." Professor Choi Jaewon of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "Although many parking lots in large marts or shopping malls are above ground, related laws to prevent accidents are insufficient," and pointed out, "It is stated that safety facilities should be installed where vehicle falls can be prevented, but it is not specifically specified where exactly to install them."

He continued, "There are very rare cases where the accelerator is pressed instead of the brake, causing accidents. Impact prevention facilities are needed not only on slopes such as downhill roads but also in places with fall risks like building edges, to prepare for emergencies. At the very least, facilities that prevent vehicles from falling outside must be in place," he emphasized.

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