An Octogenarian Driver Who Rushed Onto the Sidewalk in a Children's Protection Zone
A vehicle driven by a driver in their 80s rushed onto the sidewalk in a school zone and crashed into a wall. Channel A news footage
A vehicle driven by a driver in his 80s crashed into a wall after veering onto the sidewalk in a school zone.
According to Channel A on the 9th, the accident occurred around 3 p.m. on the 1st in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, when an 80-year-old man, Mr. A, drove his vehicle into the wall of a mixed-use residential and commercial building.
Footage from the time of the accident shows Mr. A’s black vehicle mounting the sidewalk. The collision caused cracks in the wall. Notably, the alley where the accident happened is a designated school zone, which could have led to serious damage.
Mr. A did not sustain serious injuries. However, the vehicle’s windshield was shattered and the left side of the bumper was dented from hitting the wall. Upon arrival, Mr. A told the police that it was a sudden unintended acceleration, claiming a vehicle defect. But when the police began a thorough investigation, he admitted to his mistake, saying he had pressed the pedal incorrectly.
The police reported that no casualties occurred from the accident and that the driver expressed willingness to compensate the building owner, planning to close the case.
Netizens who saw the incident reacted with comments such as, "These days, people quickly claim sudden unintended acceleration," "There should be harsher penalties for false sudden acceleration claims," and "Once the police started investigating, he admitted to driver error."
Meanwhile, traffic accidents involving elderly drivers have been occurring consecutively. According to the Road Traffic Authority’s Traffic Accident Analysis System, the proportion of accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older has increased from 14.5% (33,239 people) in 2019 to 15.0% (31,072 people) in 2020, 15.7% (31,841 people) in 2021, 17.6% (34,652 people) in 2022, and 20% (39,614 people) in 2023.
To reduce traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers, local governments nationwide currently offer incentives such as cash or transportation cards to those who voluntarily surrender their driver’s licenses. Seoul City provides a prepaid transportation card loaded with 100,000 won to seniors aged 70 and above who return their licenses. Incheon City offers a regional currency card worth 100,000 won to voluntary license returnees aged 70 and older.
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