Blue House, "Strengthening Crackdown on Dangerous Lane Cutting" in Response to Petition on High School Student's Paralysis Traffic Accident

Response to National Petition on Punishment of Traffic Accident Perpetrators... Application of Negligent Injury in the Course of Duty, Second Trial Underway

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The Blue House promised to strengthen crackdowns on 'cutting in line' driving in response to a national petition related to a high school student who became paralyzed after a traffic accident while riding a bus.

On the 19th, Kang Jeong-su, head of the Blue House Digital Communication Center, responded to the national petition titled 'Punishment for the perpetrator of the traffic accident causing paralysis of a high school student.' This petition was supported by about 211,000 citizens.

Kang said, "The petitioner posted a heartbreaking incident where their younger sister, who was on the bus, hit her head on the fare box due to a vehicle recklessly cutting in front of the bus and was diagnosed with paralysis," adding, "The driver of the offending vehicle did not offer a sincere apology, and the petitioner demanded strict punishment, stating that the one-year prison sentence with suspension given in the first trial was too light."

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Kang stated, "Currently, this case is under trial. The first trial sentenced the driver of the offending vehicle to one year in prison with suspension for professional negligence causing injury under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling, and the second trial is ongoing," adding, "It is difficult to respond to national petitions regarding ongoing trials or matters that fall under the judiciary's exclusive jurisdiction."

However, Kang emphasized, "We will pay more attention to traffic safety. The so-called ‘kalchigi’?where a vehicle behind changes lanes and cuts into the narrow gap of the vehicle ahead?is a violation of Article 19, Paragraph 3 of the Road Traffic Act concerning lane change methods," and pledged, "The government will strengthen crackdowns using various methods such as camcorder surveillance in areas with frequent traffic accidents to prevent kalchigi accidents."

Kang explained, "Under current law, the licensing, operation, and management of city buses are delegated to the mayors and governors of cities and provinces. The government has requested local government heads to strengthen inspections of safety equipment and safety education for workers to prevent unfortunate incidents like this accident."

Kang added, "Since buses with many passengers may make sudden stops due to traffic conditions or the interior floor may become slippery due to rain or snow, causing slip accidents, we will also consider attaching anti-slip tape to the floors of city buses."