02-22-2016, 01:20 PM
http://www.koreanewsonline.com/road-dangers-surface-in-seoul/
South Korea, about 5,500 people die in vehicle related accidents yearly.
Kim Ki-bok of the Green Speed Campaign has been working on traffic safety for 30 years. While he sites the need for improvements in maintenance and infrastructure, he pinpoints the lack of political holding back road safety.
“Politicians and the government care about popularity and worry a lot about the potential backlash from the Korean people if they strengthen punishments for traffic law violations,” says Kim.
Kim’s struggling NGO and others that work vocally argue that stronger punishments will save lives, but Kim says such advice falls on deaf ears, “it’s not enough to persuade politicians and decision makers.”
Looking at more statistics concerning South Korea’s traffic safety record bears out Kim’s position. According to the South Korean Police Agency 8 million speeding tickets were given out in 2013. Drunk driving remains a huge problem, although some progress may be underway with the number of offenders caught declining from 430,000 in 2008 to 240,000 in 2012. However, repeat drunk-driving offenders show no decrease over the same period.
South Korea, about 5,500 people die in vehicle related accidents yearly.
Kim Ki-bok of the Green Speed Campaign has been working on traffic safety for 30 years. While he sites the need for improvements in maintenance and infrastructure, he pinpoints the lack of political holding back road safety.
“Politicians and the government care about popularity and worry a lot about the potential backlash from the Korean people if they strengthen punishments for traffic law violations,” says Kim.
Kim’s struggling NGO and others that work vocally argue that stronger punishments will save lives, but Kim says such advice falls on deaf ears, “it’s not enough to persuade politicians and decision makers.”
Looking at more statistics concerning South Korea’s traffic safety record bears out Kim’s position. According to the South Korean Police Agency 8 million speeding tickets were given out in 2013. Drunk driving remains a huge problem, although some progress may be underway with the number of offenders caught declining from 430,000 in 2008 to 240,000 in 2012. However, repeat drunk-driving offenders show no decrease over the same period.
