8 out of 10 Cases Involve No Safety Helmet
Assemblyman Han Byung-do: "Significant Level of Legal Violations Occurring"
On the 13th, 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 the Gangnam Police Station were conducting guidance and promotional activities around Samseong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. According to the revision, only those holding 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-joo] Following the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act, regulations on the use of personal mobility devices (PM), such as electric kickboards, have been strengthened. It has been revealed that the total fines imposed for violations of these regulations have exceeded 1 billion KRW.
According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Han Byung-do, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party, from May 13, when the penalty provisions were enforced, until the end of last month, there were 34,068 cases of personal mobility device violations detected, with total fines amounting to 1,034,580,000 KRW.
The most common violation was not wearing a helmet, accounting for 26,948 cases (79.1%), with fines totaling 538,950,000 KRW (52.1%). This was followed by unlicensed driving with 3,199 cases, drunk driving with 1,070 cases, and exceeding passenger limits with 205 cases. There were also 16 cases of refusal to undergo breathalyzer tests. By region, Gyeonggi-do had the highest number of enforcement cases at 14,065, followed by Seoul with 8,973, Gwangju with 3,067, and Incheon with 2,713 cases.
Meanwhile, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices have sharply increased each year, from 117 cases in 2017 to 225 in 2018, 447 in 2019, and 897 last year.
Assemblyman Han stated, "Since the safety obligations for riding personal mobility devices were strengthened, the occurrence of violations not adhering to these rules has reached a significant level," adding, "The police must do their utmost to create a safe riding environment for personal mobility devices through active enforcement and public awareness campaigns during the initial implementation period."
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