Over 15 Years 60% vs Under 1 Year 2.5%
"Due to Excessive Confidence and Negligence"
On the night of the 1st, near Seoul City Hall Station, the driver involved in a wrong-way driving accident that resulted in 9 deaths was confirmed to be a bus driver with over 40 years of driving experience. Meanwhile, a 'surprising result' revealed that the group of drivers causing the most traffic accidents are 'veterans with more than 15 years of driving experience.'
According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Road Traffic Authority on the 7th, the average annual number of traffic accidents in South Korea over the past five years (2019?2023) was 207,503. Among these, accidents caused by drivers who have held their license for more than 15 years averaged 125,718 per year, accounting for 60.6% of the total. The number of fatalities in accidents caused by this group also reached 60.9% of all traffic accident deaths. Additionally, 67.0% of the offending drivers during this period held a Class 1 license.
On the other hand, traffic accidents caused by drivers who have held their license for less than one year accounted for only 2.5% (an average of 5,228 cases per year). Even considering that the number of drivers licensed for less than one year is smaller than those licensed for more than 15 years, and factoring in driving proficiency, this result somewhat contradicts the common belief that 'novice drivers cause more traffic accidents.'
Furthermore, drivers with less than 5 years of license tenure caused 11.0% (22,901 cases), those with 5 to less than 10 years caused 11.6% (23,993 cases), and those with 10 to less than 15 years caused 9.9% (20,527 cases). Other or unknown categories accounted for 6.9% (14,364 cases). In other words, among all driver groups, those with over 15 years of experience have the highest proportion of traffic accidents.
Experts attribute the high accident rate among veteran drivers to 'excessive confidence in their driving skills combined with resulting carelessness and negligence.' Professor Choi Jaewon of the Korea Road Traffic Authority explained, "Most drivers with over 15 years of experience actively participate in social activities and use their cars for commuting. They become accustomed to driving and believe they understand traffic laws well, which increases the likelihood of accidents."
Currently, only drivers aged 75 and older are required to receive traffic safety education on traffic laws when obtaining or renewing their driver's license. Regular aptitude tests required for Class 1 license holders and Class 2 license holders aged 70 and above consist mainly of simple physical examinations. However, since many veteran drivers are involved in accidents without fully understanding updated road traffic laws, regular traffic safety education is also necessary. Professor Choi added, "For drivers under 75, requiring regular traffic safety education during license renewal aptitude tests is also an option," emphasizing that "institutional improvements are needed."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
