[2020 National Audit] Motorcycle Traffic Violations Surge... This Year's Enforcement Cases Already Exceed Last Year's

Han Byung-do, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. / Photo provided by the member's office

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The number of traffic violations by two-wheeled vehicles from January to September this year has already surpassed last year's total.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Assemblyman Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, the number of two-wheeled vehicle traffic violations from January to September this year is 275,227 cases. This exceeds last year's total of 271,787 cases.

By region, Gwangju saw a surge of 254% compared to last year, with 12,077 cases this year, and Sejong also increased by 152% to 810 cases compared to the previous year. Most regions including Ulsan, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Busan, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Chungbuk experienced a significant increase in the number of violations compared to previous years.

The most common type of violation was not wearing a helmet, with 132,053 cases, followed by signal violations with 59,268 cases, and pedestrian walkway violations with 15,059 cases.

Assemblyman Han pointed out, "The number of two-wheeled vehicle traffic violations up to September this year has exceeded last year's figures, showing a rapid increasing trend. In particular, traffic violations such as signal violations are problematic as they threaten not only the drivers themselves but also others."

He added, "The police should strive to build a safe traffic environment through active promotion of traffic law compliance and strict enforcement."