Anti-Corruption Commission: License Revocation for Failing to Act After Non-Contact Traffic Accident Is Lawful

An administrative appeal has concluded that the revocation of a driver's license for failing to take any action after causing a non-contact traffic accident is lawful.

Sooyoung Cho, Chairperson of the Central Administrative Appeals Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, is speaking at the main conference room of the Government Sejong Complex. Photo by Yonhap News

On October 30, the Central Administrative Appeals Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that it had rejected the administrative appeal filed by Mr. A, whose driver's license was revoked after a non-contact traffic accident resulted in a victim, and who failed to take any measures such as reporting the incident.

Mr. A caused a non-contact traffic accident while changing lanes without using the turn signal. The victim, who was riding a motorcycle, had to brake suddenly during Mr. A's lane change, fell, and sustained injuries requiring three weeks of recovery, as well as financial damages exceeding 2 million won. However, Mr. A did not provide assistance or report the accident, which ultimately led to the revocation of his Class 1 regular driver's license.

Mr. A argued that the license revocation was unfair because he was unaware of the accident due to the lack of contact between vehicles. However, the Central Administrative Appeals Committee did not accept this claim, noting that Mr. A had stopped near the scene after the accident, helped upright the victim's motorcycle, and left two minutes later.

According to the Road Traffic Act, when a driver causes a traffic accident, they must assist any casualties, provide their personal information to the victim, and report the accident to the police. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of the driver's license.

Sooyoung Cho, Chairperson of the Central Administrative Appeals Committee, stated, "Even if you cause a traffic accident while driving, you can reduce both legal disadvantages and the suffering of victims by strictly adhering to the principle of 'stop, assist, and report.'"

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