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[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] A survey found that among 10 children riding together during long-distance driving on highways, 3 do not wear seat belts. Although fines are imposed for not wearing seat belts, a serious lack of safety awareness persists among many drivers.
On the 5th, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance conducted a survey of 500 drivers with long-distance driving experience, and 57% of the general public responded that they wear seat belts in the rear seats on highways.
In particular, only 70% responded that children wear seat belts in the back seat. Furthermore, 10% said they unfasten the seat belt again because it feels uncomfortable after fastening it and starting the drive.
Respondents cited reasons for not making children wear seat belts as "because it is uncomfortable (54%)", "the back seat is safe (28%)", and "it seems like no accident will happen (12%)", indicating that safety awareness regarding traffic accidents remains low.
According to statistics from the Korea Road Traffic Authority, 37.5% of traffic accident fatalities were not wearing seat belts. The fatality rate for those not wearing seat belts was 1.56%, which is 4.7 times higher than the 0.33% fatality rate for those wearing seat belts.
Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance compared insurance payouts and serious injury rates based on seat belt usage, confirming that the insurance payout per occupant was 1.61 million KRW when wearing a seat belt, but 2.41 million KRW when not wearing one.
It is analyzed that those not wearing seat belts incur 50% higher damage per case than those wearing them, and the probability of sustaining serious injuries in an accident is 12 times higher.
Since September 2018, the obligation to wear seat belts in all seats has been enforced not only on highways but on all roads. If caught not wearing a seat belt, drivers and passengers are fined 30,000 KRW, and especially if children under 13 do not wear seat belts, a fine of 50,000 KRW is imposed.
An insurance industry official said, "Since driving on highways increases during holidays such as vacations or the Chuseok holiday, all seats must be fastened with seat belts before departure for the safety of the family."
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