696 Personal Mobility Device Regulation Violations Recorded in Seoul Over One Month

May 13 Revised Law Enforcement...Stricter Usage Regulations
Most Common Violation: Not Wearing Safety Helmets

On May 13, when the revised Road Traffic Act strengthening regulations on the use of personal mobility devices (PM) such as electric kickboards came into effect, traffic safety officers from Gangnam Police Station were conducting guidance and promotional activities around Samseong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. According to the revision, only holders of a "Class 2 motorized bicycle license" or higher can ride electric kickboards, and a fine of 20,000 won will be imposed for riding without a helmet. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Since regulations on personal mobility devices (PM) such as helmet-wearing were strengthened last month, nearly 700 violations have been caught in Seoul over the course of one month.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 21st, the police cracked down on a total of 696 violations of personal mobility device usage rules from the 13th of last month to the 16th of this month. By type, not wearing a helmet accounted for the most cases at 328, followed by drunk driving with 103 cases, and unlicensed driving with 53 cases.

In particular, after a one-month guidance period, 244 violations were detected during the four days from the 13th to the 16th of this month when full-scale enforcement began. The types of violations during this period included 175 cases of not wearing a helmet, 11 cases of drunk driving, 14 cases of unlicensed driving, 3 cases of exceeding passenger limits, and 41 other cases.

Since the revised Road Traffic Act strengthening personal mobility device regulations came into effect on the 13th of last month, fines of 20,000 KRW are imposed for not wearing a helmet, 100,000 KRW for drunk driving (130,000 KRW if refusing measurement), 40,000 KRW for exceeding passenger limits, and 100,000 KRW for unlicensed driving.

A police official stated, "For one month after the revised law was implemented, enforcement focused mainly on guidance," adding, "Since the 13th of this month, in line with the purpose of the revised law, we have been strictly cracking down on risky traffic behaviors, while also issuing warnings and guidance for minor violations to ensure compliance with the regulations."