"Late July to Early August Peak Summer Vacation... Most Traffic Accidents Occur Between 2 PM and 6 PM"

On the 29th, marking the start of the peak summer vacation period, Gapyeong Rest Area on the Chuncheon-bound route in Gyeonggi is bustling with travelers' vehicles. / Gapyeong = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] The peak summer vacation season has officially begun. Over the past two years, traffic accidents decreased by 8.1% due to reduced traffic volume caused by social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, an increase is expected again.

According to Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Traffic Climate Environment Research Institute on the 30th, an analysis of traffic accident characteristics during the summer vacation period (July 16 to August 15) before and after the COVID-19 outbreak showed that the proportion of deaths and serious injuries in traffic accidents during the vacation period in 2020 and last year decreased by 16% and 14.9%, respectively.

However, this year, the volume of travel during the vacation period is predicted to increase by 16.6% compared to the previous year, so caution is needed to prevent traffic accidents.

According to the institute, traffic accidents occurring during the peak vacation period (July 16 to August 15) increased by 5.9% compared to the monthly average number of accidents, and the number of deaths averaged 60, which is 2.5% higher than the monthly average of 59 deaths.

Traffic accidents during the vacation period were concentrated between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., when the temperature is highest (29.72%). The accident rate during nighttime hours (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) was also 7.15%, higher than the weekday average of 6.48%.

During daytime driving in the vacation period, to prevent drowsy driving caused by post-lunch sleepiness and decreased attention due to heat, it is important to have sufficient rest before departure and to ventilate periodically while driving. To prevent nighttime traffic accidents, it is advisable to plan vacation schedules with enough time to avoid driving at night as much as possible.

During the vacation period, as vehicles concentrate on major vacation spots, the accident rates in Gangwon (116%) and Jeju (106%) increase significantly. The accident rate in the metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) was found to decrease compared to usual.

According to the 2022 Summer Vacation Traffic Survey, the most anticipated vacation destination this year is also the East Coast region (24.7%), raising concerns about an increase in traffic accidents.

Moon Yesul, Ph.D., at Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Traffic Climate Environment Research Institute, said, "The summer vacation season requires more attention while driving due to higher temperatures than usual and unfamiliar road environments at vacation spots," adding, "To prevent traffic accidents during vacations after COVID-19, it is important to complete vehicle inspections before departure and to drive safely in vacation areas."

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