Traffic Accidents on the Day Before Lunar New Year Holiday 22% Higher Than Usual

On the 10th, as the air stagnated and the concentration of ultrafine dust reached a 'bad' level, the area around Chungmuro Station in Jung-gu, Seoul appeared hazy. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] During the Lunar New Year holiday period, traffic accidents most frequently occur on the day before the holiday when people begin their journey home, while the highest number of traffic accident injuries occur on the day of the Lunar New Year itself.

On the 22nd, the General Insurance Association of Korea and the Insurance Development Institute announced that an analysis of automobile insurance personal injury accidents during the Lunar New Year holidays over the past three years showed that the number of accidents on the day before the holiday, which is the first day of the homecoming period, was 3,808 cases, a 22.5% increase compared to the usual 3,107 cases.

After the day before the holiday, the number of accidents decreased, falling below the usual levels.

In particular, the number of injuries was highest on the day of the Lunar New Year, with 7,184 people injured. This is approximately 53.2% higher than usual. The total number of traffic accident casualties during the period before and after the holiday increased by 7.9% compared to normal times.

The number of casualties among children under 10 years old surged by 59.6%, and among adolescents aged 10 to 19, it increased sharply by 80.6%, indicating a rise in minor victims.

On the other hand, casualties among those aged 60 to 69 decreased by 12.9%, and those aged 70 and above decreased by 16.4% compared to usual.

Fatal accidents were most frequent between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., while injuries were concentrated between noon and 4 p.m.

Before and after the holiday, casualties caused by drunk driving increased by 26.3%, and those caused by crossing the center line increased by 24.8%.

The General Insurance Association urged that to prevent traffic accidents during the Lunar New Year holiday, all passengers should wear seat belts, take breaks when feeling drowsy, and comply with traffic laws, emphasizing adherence to safe driving principles.