"Return Trip Warning" The Day Before Lunar New Year Holiday Had the Most Traffic Accidents

Special Caution Needed for Driving Home on the 20th
Bad Weather Expected During Seol Holiday Including Rain, Snow, and Cold Wave

Last year's Chuseok holiday return trip. Cars heading southbound on the Gyeongbu Expressway near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are experiencing traffic congestion. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Drivers heading home on the 20th need to exercise extra caution due to the high risk of accidents. Statistics show that traffic accidents are most frequent on the day before the Lunar New Year holiday.

On the 19th, the Korea Insurance Development Institute and the General Insurance Association released an analysis of automobile insurance personal injury accident occurrences during the Lunar New Year holiday period, including the day before and the day after the holiday, from 2020 to 2022. Although traffic accidents during the Lunar New Year holiday have generally decreased over the past three years due to the impact of COVID-19, the trend in accident occurrences remained similar to previous years.

The average daily number of accidents on the day before the Lunar New Year holiday was 3,796, which is a 14.3% increase compared to the usual 3,320. The accident rate was 5.9%, up 0.9 percentage points from normal days. On the holiday itself and the day after, the average daily number of accidents was in the low 2,000s, showing a decrease compared to usual days.

The number of accident victims was also higher on the day before the holiday, with 5,732 victims, an increase of 17.8% compared to usual. The number of victims in drunk driving accidents was also higher on the day before the holiday, with 46 victims, a 25.1% increase compared to normal days.

However, the number of victims per accident was highest on the holiday itself, at 2.3 persons, compared to before and after the holiday or usual days (1.5 persons). This is attributed to multiple passengers riding in one car when visiting ancestral graves on the holiday.

During the holiday period, the time frame from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. accounted for 59.1% of all accident victims, the highest proportion. If you plan to drive during this time, it is important to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles ahead and behind and to prevent drowsy driving.

This year’s Lunar New Year holiday is forecasted to have bad weather conditions such as rain, snow, and strong winds. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain or snow is expected mainly in the central region (excluding the Gangwon East Coast) and Jeolla region from the night of the 19th to the morning of the 20th. From that day until the holiday on the 22nd, temperatures are expected to be similar to the average (low temperatures between -9°C and 0°C, high temperatures between 2°C and 7°C).

However, on the 23rd and 24th, when the homecoming traffic begins in earnest, the influence of a continental high-pressure system will bring cold air from the north, resulting in the strongest cold wave of this winter. The Korea Meteorological Administration has urged caution regarding icy roads and "black ice," which is a thin layer of ice on the road surface.

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