Illegal Disposal of Cigarette Butts While Driving Increases Risk of Major Traffic Accidents and Fires
Fine of 50,000 Won and 10 Penalty Points...Criticism of Lenient Punishments
A fire broke out in the cargo area of a 1-ton truck passing over Nakdong Bridge in Gupo-dong, Buk-gu, Busan, at around 3:10 PM on the 31st of last month. The police are investigating, estimating that the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette butt from a nearby passing vehicle. Photo by Busan Bukbu Police Station
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] # Recently, Mr. A, a man in his 40s, who works as an office worker, was involved in a serious traffic accident while driving. The driver of the vehicle ahead threw a cigarette butt out of the car window, which entered Mr. A's car, causing him to swerve suddenly and crash into the median barrier. Although the offending driver apologized, Mr. A had no choice but to spend a long time hospitalized. Mr. A lamented, "Because of a carelessly discarded cigarette butt, I not only had to be hospitalized but also suffered severe damage."
Traffic accidents and even fistfights among drivers have become social issues due to some drivers illegally throwing cigarette butts out of their vehicles while driving.
Cigarette butts carelessly discarded by drivers can lead not only to major traffic accidents but also to fires.
On the afternoon of the 31st at around 3:10 PM, a fire broke out in the cargo bed of a 1-ton truck traveling on the Nakdong Bridge in Busan. The fire burned cargo such as sofas in the truck bed, causing property damage worth approximately 4 million KRW. There were no casualties.
The police are investigating the exact cause of the fire, believing it was caused by a cigarette butt that flew into the truck's cargo bed.
The cause of a vehicle fire on a road near the Mujum Tunnel in Changwon, Gyeongnam, in May 2017 was also a cigarette butt. The fire authorities estimated that someone threw a cigarette butt into a moving 1-ton truck, causing the fire.
Moreover, cigarette butts illegally thrown from the vehicle ahead sometimes startle drivers behind, causing them to swerve out of their lanes or have safety accidents.
Mr. A, a driver in his early 40s who witnessed cigarette butts being thrown from a vehicle ahead on the highway, said, "Illegally throwing cigarette butts while driving is the most malicious act," adding, "Drivers behind are not only startled but also face a significantly increased risk of traffic accidents."
Another office worker in his mid-30s, Mr. B, said, "I saw cigarette butts being thrown from a vehicle while riding a bus," and expressed frustration, saying, "The road is not an ashtray, and there are too many drivers with no manners."
Fires caused by cigarette butts have been steadily increasing. Cigarette butt fires numbered 5,287 in 2010, surged nearly 25% to 6,592 in 2011, rose to 6,952 in 2014, and approached 7,000 in 2017.
Due to the increasing number of fires caused by cigarette butts, the government operates a 'reward system.' When witnessing illegal acts by other drivers, one can report them by attaching videos or photos recorded on a black box through the National Petition website or the Life Inconvenience Report app. Informants receive rewards.
The problem lies in the level of fines. The Road Traffic Act Enforcement Decree, revised in 2012, stipulates that drivers who throw cigarette butts or hazardous materials while driving are subject to a fine of 50,000 KRW and 10 penalty points.
Criticism arises that this punishment is too lenient compared to the potential damage caused by cigarette butts. Mr. C, a man in his 40s, said, "Recently, I almost had an accident because of a cigarette butt thrown by another driver while driving," adding, "Thinking about that, the fine should be significantly increased; the punishment is too weak."
However, the reality is not easy. In 2009, a bill to ban smoking while driving and impose a maximum fine of 200,000 KRW for violations was submitted to the National Assembly but failed. Earlier, in 2005, an attempt to add a smoking ban while driving to the Road Traffic Act amendment was also scrapped due to strong opposition from smokers.
Experts point out that illegally throwing cigarette butts while driving is a very dangerous act. A police official said, "Throwing cigarette butts from the vehicle ahead is a situation that the driver behind cannot anticipate at all, so it inevitably causes loss of composure while driving," adding, "This inevitably increases the risk of accidents." He emphasized, "Safe driving is related not only to oneself but also to the lives of others, so regulations must be strictly followed."
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