107 Deaths Over 5 Years Due to 'Black Ice'... The Most Dangerous Time Period

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Holds Black Ice Accident Prevention Forum
Road Freezing Accident Fatality Rate 2.3 per 100 Cases
Fatal Accidents Concentrated Between 4 AM and 8 AM

Over the past five years, 4,609 traffic accidents have occurred due to 'black ice,' a thin layer of ice formed on road surfaces caused by rain or snow, resulting in 107 fatalities. In particular, the highest number of deaths occurred between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated that road black ice is occurring more frequently than before due to unpredictable heavy snowfall and cold waves, urging drivers to exercise caution.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, Yonhap News reported that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held an expert forum in the afternoon titled ‘Expert Forum for Preventing Casualties in Traffic Accidents Caused by Road Black Ice.’ The forum was organized to analyze the causes of black ice formation on roads and to discuss countermeasures against winter road icing accidents. About 20 participants, including private experts in road, traffic, and meteorology fields as well as officials from related agencies, attended the forum.

According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, from 2018 to 2022, a total of 4,609 traffic accidents caused by road icing were recorded, resulting in 107 deaths and 7,728 injuries. Notably, the fatality rate for traffic accidents caused by road icing was 2.3 deaths per 100 accidents, higher than the 1.5 deaths per 100 accidents when roads were not iced. The time period with the most fatalities was between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

At the forum, experts emphasized the need to "maintain high-risk icing sections and expand road weather observation networks to prepare various countermeasures." They also stressed that "raising drivers' safety awareness and forming a national consensus on safety consciousness are important," and urged that "drivers should be actively educated on how to respond to road black ice."

To prevent accidents, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety officials advised the following: ▲equipping winter supplies such as snow chains and installing winter tires ▲pre-checking vehicle conditions including antifreeze, battery, lubricants, and tire wear ▲checking weather conditions and road status before driving ▲reducing speed on bridges, overpasses, tunnels, underpasses, and sharp curves ▲maintaining sufficient safety distance from the vehicle ahead.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, also stated, "We will carefully examine blind spots and potential risks of road black ice and develop and implement highly effective preventive measures."

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