Vehicle Issues During Holidays... Use Emergency Services and Chatbots

On the 28th, one day before the Lunar New Year holiday, vehicles heading home are congested on the Gyeongbu Expressway toward Busan (left southbound lane) near Singal JC in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, as seen from a police helicopter inspecting the homecoming traffic. (Aerial photography cooperation = Sergeant Mun Heung-ju and Inspector Shim Dong-guk, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Lunar New Year holiday, which involves a lot of long-distance driving, has begun. The problem arises when a vehicle experiences issues during the holiday period. An automotive industry insider advises that since automakers' service centers suspend operations during the holiday, customers should use partner companies or emergency services.

According to the automotive industry on the 29th, domestic automakers provided free inspection services at nationwide service hubs from the 26th to the 28th. However, with the free inspection service ending on the 28th, it is practically impossible to use automakers' service centers during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Insurance companies that have traditionally offered free inspection services during holidays are in a similar situation. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, free inspection services previously held at highway rest areas have also ended around the 28th, just like the automakers.

Therefore, automotive industry insiders recommend using emergency services provided by automakers and insurance companies if vehicle issues arise during the holiday. While it is difficult to use automakers' directly operated centers, partner repair shops have somewhat different circumstances.

Additionally, automakers operate emergency dispatch teams at all times to provide prompt support in case of breakdowns or traffic accidents during vehicle operation. If a vehicle has a problem, quick service can be received from the nearest repair shop.

Utilizing on-duty repair shop services provided locally is also a good option. Daejeon City operates 31 on-duty repair shops in preparation for cases requiring emergency vehicle repairs, and inquiries can be made to the city’s traffic control center for guidance.

If an accident occurs and a response is needed, it is also advised to use chatbots. The General Insurance Association provides guidance on how to respond to accidents and fault ratios through the KakaoTalk-based 'Fault Ratio Dispute Deliberation Committee' chatbot.

By entering "Please tell me how to respond to a traffic accident" into the Kakao chatbot, it provides instructions on preventing secondary accidents, photographing the accident scene, and how to report the accident to the insurance company. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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