Intensive Crackdown on Drunk Driving to Continue
The police will continue to take a strict stance, prioritizing the consideration of pretrial detention and vehicle confiscation for habitual drunk drivers.
Police have launched a special crackdown on drunk driving in school zones around schools to mark the new semester. On the afternoon of the 12th, police conducted a sobriety checkpoint near an elementary school in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@
On April 23, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it would prioritize pretrial detention and vehicle confiscation for habitual drunk drivers and those responsible for serious drunk driving accidents.
Since the beginning of this year, the police have detained 13 drivers without licenses or with a history of habitual drunk driving who caused accidents, citing flight risk, and have confiscated 12 vehicles. Last year, the police confiscated 41 vehicles.
The police will also conduct intensive drunk driving crackdowns across all areas of Seoul. During the day, checkpoints will focus on school zones during elementary school commuting hours, while at night, enforcement will target entertainment and busy districts.
In addition, starting June 4, the police plan to respond strictly to "sultagi," which refers to acts of interfering with sobriety tests by consuming additional alcohol, in accordance with the amended Road Traffic Act. The amendment stipulates imprisonment for at least one year and up to five years, or a fine of at least 5 million won and up to 20 million won, for acts that interfere with sobriety testing.
A police official stated, "We will continue to conduct strict investigations into habitual drunk driving and serious drunk driving accidents," and added, "With the amendment of the Road Traffic Act, acts that interfere with sobriety tests can now also be punished. We will take the lead in fostering a social atmosphere where drunk driving is absolutely unacceptable."
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