Motorcycle Noise, Speeding, and Cutting In... Drivers Are Afraid

Increased Delivery Demand Due to COVID-19
Popular as Commuting Means and Hobby
Annual Rise in Two-Wheeled Vehicle Accidents

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Office worker Lee (31) recently had a harrowing experience while driving late at night due to a motorcycle roaring past. The motorcycle dominated the roads around Gwanghwamun in Seoul, speeding and even lifting its front wheel as it raced at a terrifying speed. On the same day near Seocho Station, he witnessed another two-wheeled vehicle violating traffic laws. A delivery motorcycle speeding suddenly cut in, forcing him to brake abruptly. Lee said, "When a motorcycle is nearby while driving, I naturally avoid it and always stay alert in alleyways. Because they make loud noises while speeding, I have been startled and looked over, but sometimes failed to make proper eye contact, almost causing an accident."

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of March this year, there are 2,296,462 registered two-wheeled vehicles nationwide. Two-wheeled vehicles are popular as commuting means and for hobbies, and since last year, with the expansion of contactless consumption due to COVID-19, delivery demand has surged, making them highly sought after. The number of delivery riders has exceeded 200,000, and motorcycle delivery work has become a mainstream two-job (two-job) trend.

According to the National Police Agency, two-wheeled vehicle accidents have been on the rise, recording 17,611 cases in 2018, 20,898 in 2019, and 21,258 in 2020. Last year alone, 525 people died and 27,348 were injured in two-wheeled vehicle accidents. By accident type, collisions between two-wheeled vehicles and cars were the most frequent with 15,939 cases, followed by two-wheeled vehicle versus pedestrian accidents at 3,160 cases, and single two-wheeled vehicle accidents at 2,158 cases.

Professor Kim Pil-su of the Department of Automotive Studies at Daelim University said, "In our society, both the system and culture regarding two-wheeled vehicles are immature. Not only safety driving education and promotion but also the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the police, as the main authorities, need to improve the currently insufficient system in all processes from two-wheeled vehicle registration to traffic enforcement and scrapping."