"Repeat Drunk Driving Increasing, Need to Avoid Detection During Drinking"

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] As the number of repeat drunk driving offenders continues to rise, the social harm caused by drunk driving is becoming increasingly severe, leading to calls for the introduction of mandatory ignition interlock devices and psychological treatment for habitual drunk drivers.

The Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, affiliated with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, released a report titled "The Reality of Repeat Drunk Driving Offenders and the Necessity of Introducing Ignition Interlock Devices" on the 29th, highlighting these issues.

According to the report, between 2019 and 2021, 257,217 drivers had their licenses revoked due to drunk driving, accounting for 38.5% of all license cancellations (668,704) during that period.

The proportion of repeat drunk driving offenders (two or more offenses) among those whose licenses were revoked for drunk driving increased by 40% (3.0 percentage points), from 7.5% (7,501 people) in 2018 to 10.5% (8,882 people) in 2021.

Data received by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance shows that over the past four years (2018?2021), 1,197 drivers caused drunk driving traffic accidents two or more times.

Even after the revision of the Road Traffic Act (commonly known as the Yoon Chang-ho Act) in 2019, which imposes heavier penalties on drivers who repeatedly commit drunk driving or refuse breath tests, the proportion of repeat offenders among all drunk driving accident drivers was 4.7% last year, up 0.5 percentage points from 4.2% in 2018.

The 4.7% recidivism rate for drunk driving accidents is 2.6 times higher than the 1.8% for signal violation accidents and 5.2 times higher than the 0.9% for center line crossing accidents among the 12 major serious traffic violations in 2021.

The institute pointed out the need to strengthen punishment and education for repeat drunk driving offenders. In particular, it argued for actively considering the introduction of ignition interlock devices (IID), which are implemented in some countries.

The ignition interlock device was first introduced in the United States in 1986 as part of managing drunk drivers. It has since expanded to countries such as Canada and Australia, and recently, European countries have also introduced IID installation and operation through legal amendments.

In the United States, drivers whose licenses have been revoked due to drunk driving are required to install an IID that prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver's blood alcohol concentration exceeds a certain level when they regain their license. In Europe, the IID system operates by encouraging voluntary participation, such as reducing the period required to regain a driver's license if the IID is installed.

Sangsang Yong, lead researcher at the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, said, "Although the introduction of the Yoon Chang-ho Act has significantly strengthened regulations on drunk driving, the proportion of repeat drunk driving accidents has not decreased. It is essential to mandate the installation of ignition interlock devices for habitual drunk drivers and simultaneously link this with education and treatment programs to prevent drunk driving."

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