Holiday Drinking: Even a Single Glass Counts as Drunk Driving for Enforcement

On the 29th, one day before the Chuseok holiday, the southbound lanes near Singal JC on the Gyeongbu Expressway are congested with vehicles heading home, as seen from a police helicopter. [Aerial filming cooperation: Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Aviation Unit, Officer Sim Dong-guk] / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Although fewer people are expected to travel home than usual due to COVID-19, special caution is required for those using private cars during the Seollal holiday period.

According to the Automobile Citizens' Coalition on the 12th, the number of traffic accident victims caused by drunk driving during the Seollal holiday increased by 26.3% compared to usual. Drinking rituals after ancestral rites (Seongmyo) are clearly considered drunk driving. Even 1-2 drinks can reach the license suspension threshold (blood alcohol concentration 0.03%). It is analyzed that many people drive after drinking with family and relatives they have not seen for a long time.

The revised Road Traffic Act (the 2nd Yoon Chang-ho Act), implemented in June 2019, strengthened the drunk driving license suspension standard from a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% to 0.03%. The license cancellation standard was also lowered from 0.1% to 0.08%. This means that even one drink of soju or beer can lead to license suspension, including driving with a hangover.

The proportion of drunk driving fatalities also increased during the Seollal holiday. According to the National Police Agency, the usual proportion of drunk driving fatalities was 10.6%, but it rose to 13.6% during the holiday period.

Drivers must be especially cautious about traffic accidents, including drunk driving. Analyzing traffic accidents during the Seollal holiday over the past five years (2015?2019), the National Police Agency and the Korea Road Traffic Authority found that the average daily number of traffic accidents during the holiday was 458, which is lower than usual (611), but with more family travel, casualties per accident were actually higher. There were 172.2 casualties per 100 accidents, 14% more than usual.

Highway accidents account for only 1.9% of all traffic accidents but increased to 2.6% during the Seollal holiday. The Korea Road Traffic Authority urged caution against drowsiness and speeding, which are major causes of accidents during long-distance driving.