'Throwing Bricks and Breaking Wipers'... Escalating Threat Levels of Revenge Driving

Driver who threatened another vehicle on highway after blocking lane sparks outrage
Reckless driving cases surge annually, but prosecution rates decline
Citizens demand "stronger punishment"

An incident occurred where a driver threatened another driver for not yielding the lane, causing public outrage. Photo by YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV' screen capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Why do you drive like that!"

An incident has sparked public outrage after a driver stopped their car in the middle of the highway and threatened another driver for not yielding the lane. The driver in question was found to have continuously threatened the victim's vehicle by kicking it and bending the wiper. Meanwhile, last month, controversy arose when a motorcyclist threw a brick at the rear window of a passenger car ahead after honking the horn and fled the scene. It was reported that children were in the victim's vehicle at the time.

Crimes related to revenge driving are becoming increasingly severe, but the prosecution rate of offenders being brought to trial is actually decreasing. As a result, calls for strict punishment of those who commit revenge crimes are growing louder. Experts point out that revenge driving can be subject to criminal punishment under charges such as special injury, special assault, and special threats.

Recently, a video titled "Why did you stop your car in the middle of Jungang Expressway? Why did you bend the wiper when it was raining?" was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV.'

In the released black box footage, driver A was passing through Baekyang Tunnel on Jungang Expressway in Sasang-gu, Busan, around 2 p.m. on the 3rd. As A exited the tunnel, a black Grandeur vehicle attempted to cut in front but failed. A then continued driving on the highway for two minutes.

After failing to cut in, the Grandeur driver B suddenly stopped his car in front of A's vehicle. B got out of his car, approached A's vehicle, kicked it, knocked on it with his fist, and even bent the wiper as a threat. Notably, B repeatedly tried to open A's car door and appeared to search for something by opening his own car's trunk.

Feeling uneasy, A immediately called the police. The passengers with A also trembled in fear, saying "It's scary." When A refused to open the door, B, who had been staring down at A for a while, eventually returned to his own car.

Regarding this, traffic accident specialist lawyer Han Moon-cheol explained, "(Such acts) can be charged as property damage or attempted damage and threats, and if the cut-in was dangerous, special threats can be applied." He added, "If it caused a dangerous situation for cars behind, general traffic obstruction charges can also be added."

Last month, an incident occurred where a motorcycle rider threw a brick at the rear window of a passenger car and fled, sparking public outrage. Black box footage of the victim's passenger car at the time of the incident. Photo by YouTube capture.

The patterns of revenge driving are becoming increasingly vicious. Types of revenge driving include ▲ deliberately sudden braking while driving ahead or overtaking and suddenly braking in front ▲ zigzagging while holding the lane and repeatedly stopping to obstruct the path ▲ abruptly changing lanes and pushing the other vehicle toward the center line or shoulder.

While reckless driving involves driving roughly to cause discomfort or threat to unspecified many, revenge driving intentionally threatens or instills fear in a specific person.

On the 31st of last month, a man in his 30s was arrested for repeatedly threatening another driver for cutting in front of his car. He committed revenge driving five times from September last year to February this year, and among the seven victims, five were female drivers, causing public outrage.

In particular, this man verbally abused and assaulted a female driver, saying things like "Where is the idiot who turned on the blinker and cut in there?" and "Come out, OOO. You're not OOO. You drive like crap."

Revenge driving crimes continue every year. According to data on 'Revenge Driving Arrests by Regional Police Agencies in the Last 3 Years' submitted by Kim Yong-pan, a member of the People Power Party, to the National Police Agency last year, ▲ 4,431 cases in 2017 ▲ 4,425 cases in 2018 ▲ 5,536 cases in 2019 were recorded.

The problem is that while related crimes increase every year, the prosecution rate gradually decreases. The prosecution rates for revenge drivers were ▲ 55% in 2017 ▲ 43% in 2018 ▲ 41% in 2019.

As a result, calls for strict punishment of revenge driving are growing. Office worker Jeon (30) said, "I saw a driver continuously honking the horn because someone didn’t let them cut in while driving," adding, "I was scared because I didn’t know what that driver might do in that moment. I was even more anxious because a friend was riding with me." He emphasized, "Revenge driving and reckless driving should be severely punished to ensure safe driving."

Experts distinguish between 'reckless driving' and 'revenge driving.' Lawyer Han Moon-cheol said on 'Han Moon-cheol TV,' "A typical revenge driving case is when there was a dispute ahead and dangerous 'cutting in' occurred because of it. Revenge driving always has a cause. If a driver acts roughly without cause, it is reckless driving." He pointed out, "Revenge driving is punishable under special threats, special damage, special injury, etc."