Driving Over 80 km/h Is Subject to Penalty
A group of individuals who posted videos on YouTube riding motorcycles at speeds of up to 230 km/h were collectively caught by the police. This is the first case where speeding drivers were criminally charged following an investigation tracking YouTube videos.
On the 28th, the Pocheon Police Station in Gyeonggi announced that 12 people, including Mr. A, were booked without detention on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act. Among them, 9 were referred to the prosecution, and the remaining 3 are currently under supplementary investigation.
They are accused of speeding on national and local roads within Pocheon City, where the speed limit is 70 km/h, between 2021 and last May. The violation speeds ranged from a minimum of 166 km/h to a maximum of 237 km/h.
A YouTube video revealing a navigation screen showing a speed of 201 km/h. [Image source=Yonhap News, Pocheon Police Station]
Most of the suspects filmed their speeding scenes themselves using cameras mounted on their helmets and uploaded the videos to YouTube, which led to their capture during the police investigation. Among them, there was also a case where, although the individual did not upload the video to YouTube, on May 12th in Soheul-eup, Pocheon City, they were driving at 190 km/h and failed to reduce speed, resulting in a collision with a retaining wall on the right side of the road, causing the death of a passenger in the back seat.
The police launched a focused crackdown as roads within Pocheon, including National Route 47, became notorious under the name "Pocheon Autobahn" for widespread driving at speeds exceeding 200 km/h. The police meticulously analyzed videos posted on YouTube to identify the motorcycle models and license numbers, then extracted ownership information of the same models registered nationwide to identify the drivers.
Additionally, the police plan to strengthen enforcement by installing rear monitoring equipment in areas where speeding is frequent. According to the current Road Traffic Act, 'excessive speeding' exceeding the speed limit by more than 80 km/h is subject not only to fines or penalties but also to criminal prosecution.
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