Highway Rule-Breakers Caught by Drones... Over 20,000 Cases Detected in 4 Years

Traffic Violations Such as Designated Lane Violations and Seatbelt Non-Use Enforced Without Traffic Congestion
Assemblyman Min Hong-cheol: "Drone Use Should Be Increased for Safety and Comfort"

On the last day of the Chuseok holiday, the northbound lanes (left side) of the Gyeongbu Expressway near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are flowing smoothly. Meanwhile, the southbound lanes are experiencing congestion. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The number of highway violations caught using drones has been rapidly increasing every year.

According to data submitted by Korea Expressway Corporation to Min Hong-chul, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of vehicles caught violating regulations using drones from 2019 to August 2022 totaled 17,864 cases.

By year, there were 3,519 cases in 2019, 3,983 cases in 2020, 6,398 cases in 2021, and 3,964 cases up to August 2022. The number of violations detected in 2021 increased by 81.8% compared to 2019.

Looking at the detailed types of violations, lane violation was the most frequent with 12,532 cases, followed by seatbelt non-wearing (2,480 cases), and improper loading (1,097 cases). The detection of seatbelt non-wearing, which began in earnest last year, is also rapidly increasing.

Korea Expressway Corporation started using drones to enforce traffic regulations on highways from 2017 to strengthen safety management in congested traffic sections. Drone enforcement has the advantage of being able to monitor freely in real-time without causing traffic congestion.

Assemblyman Min Hong-chul said, "Lane violations, which are the most frequently detected through drone enforcement, disrupt smooth traffic flow and greatly increase the likelihood of rear-end collisions, so they must be eradicated." He added, "It is necessary to strengthen drone-based enforcement for safe and unobstructed highways."

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