Cars Speeding in Residential Areas to Get Tickets

Drivers will soon be required to slow down in residential districts to under 30 kilometers per hour and to even register two-wheelers with engine power of less than 50cc.

The government held a joint committee on the traffic safety policy yesterday with the Justice Ministry, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Marine Affairs and the National Police Agency, and concluded the comprehensive enforcement plan for halving traffic accident deaths. The effective date of the plan will be decided through consultation among relevant authorities.

The objective of the plan is to reduce the number of deaths per 10,000 cars from 3.1 of 2007 to 1.2 by 2012.

The government is also planning to introduce the “Zone 30” system in which the maximum driving speed in housing districts is limited at 30 kilometers per hour for the safety of pedestrians.

A National Police Agency source explained, “The new rule will be applied to all roads without the center line in residential districts across the country. It is a measure to protect pedestrians who account for 36 percent of those killed in traffic accidents.”

Furthermore, management of two-wheelers, which are prone to fatal traffic accidents, will be enhanced. Small two-wheelers with engine power less than 50cc, which have been exempted from the obligation of registration, will have to attach a number plate and be covered by insurance. In addition, two-wheelers with engine power under 125cc, which can be run by those with ordinary driver`s licenses, will have a separate license system.

Also, the severity of punishment of drunk driving will be heightened. In case a driver’s license is revoked due to more than three times of drunk driving, the limitation of period needed for obtaining the license again will be extended from the current two years to about three years. Drivers engaged in drunk driving will face up to three years in jail or 10 million won in fine. The current punishment standard is maximum two years in jail or 5 million won in fine.

Moreover, a black box, a digital devise that records information of driving, will be installed in every bus, taxi and cargo truck. The government intends to use the devise in analyzing the cause of accidents and improving driving practice.

A government source said, “According to some analysis, Korea’s road safety is 20 years behind that of OECD members. The government is planning to reduce traffic accidents to the level of advanced countries within five years.”

fineday@donga.com