[Delivery Regret] Reckless Driving Reported via Tip App, Police Say "Punishment Difficult"

Public Reporting Group Operates in 17 Local Governments
Sejong Sees Significant Decrease in Motorcycle Accident Deaths
'Smart Gukmin Jebo' Usage Is Complicated
Police Often Request 'Supplementary Information' Even After Reports
"App Performance Improvement and Guideline Establishment Needed"

In June of last year, a campaign to create a safe traffic culture was conducted in Areum-dong, Sejong City, led by the Sejong City Apartment Residents' Representatives Association.

"I am a father of two elementary school children. While volunteering for traffic safety in front of the school, I witnessed reckless motorcycle driving and realized that children are exposed to many dangers."

"There have been numerous times when reckless motorcycle driving has given me chills. I believe that consistent reporting by citizens is the most effective way to improve the situation."

"There was nothing we could do about motorcycles running red lights or riding on sidewalks. I applied with the hope that I could help improve the city's traffic environment."

Many heartfelt stories arrived. Last July, when Sejong City recruited a public reporting team to eradicate illegal acts by delivery motorcycles, citizens wrote such motivations for applying. Applications poured in from all walks of life, including parents, university students, office workers, and housewives. While recruiting 80 members, 120 applied. Mayor Lee Chun-hee of Sejong City personally handed appointment certificates and badges to each member of the reporting team. Instilling a sense of mission as a citizen monitoring group, they showed active participation. The number of motorcycle traffic violations caught by the reporting team last year totaled about 3,000 cases. This is three times the 1,023 cases recorded by the Sejong Police Agency’s enforcement over one year.

The public reporting team, launched as part of a comprehensive two-wheeled vehicle policy, is currently operated by 17 local governments. The number of active members increased from 1,000 last year to 5,000 this year. Looking at regional performance as of August last year, Gyeonggi had the highest with 1,687 cases, followed by Seoul with 1,107, Sejong with 724, Gwangju and Jeonnam with 650, Busan with 648, and Daegu and Gyeongbuk with 592. Considering that the Sejong Police Agency recorded 381 two-wheeled vehicle traffic violation enforcement cases from January to April last year, the reporting team’s performance is remarkably high.

The power of citizens was strong. Two-wheeled vehicle-related accidents caused by riders in Sejong City decreased by 11.3%, from 80 cases in 2019 to 71 last year, and the number of deaths dropped by 60%, from 5 to 2 during the same period. The reduction in two-wheeled vehicle fatalities was the largest nationwide. A Sejong City official said, "Pedestrians’ anxiety and stress are not captured in statistics," adding, "We conducted safe driving campaigns involving citizens and carried out joint crackdowns with the police."

However, catching illegal acts by fast-moving motorcycles was not easy. The ‘Smart Citizen Reporting’ application (app) operated by the National Police Agency was more complicated to use than expected, and it was difficult to secure evidence accurate enough to impose penalties for violations. Each time a report was filed, a request for additional information was returned.

Jeon Ho-seong, a veteran in reporting illegal two-wheeled vehicles who ranks third nationwide, had 7 out of 8 reports submitted via the reporting app on the 2nd requested for additional information. The next day, the police stated, "The video length is too short to process the violation. Please provide the full video," and "If there is no sign restricting or prohibiting two-wheeled vehicles from using bicycle lanes, enforcement is impossible," among other opinions.

Jeon said, "There are many cases where additional materials are requested from the hard-earned reports," adding, "Some members of the reporting team have given up halfway out of frustration." He continued, "It is necessary to improve the camera performance within the reporting app to make license plates easier to identify and to establish reporting guidelines so that more citizens can participate."

Meanwhile, the city held meetings with riders and delivery service company representatives to seek solutions to illegal driving problems. As a result, structural causes such as △overheated competition in the industry △difficulty managing freelance riders △consumers wanting faster delivery were identified. Various measures were proposed, including not only strengthening enforcement but also improving license plates, enhancing rider qualifications and safety education, and introducing safe delivery fees.