Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance: "Vehicle Flooding Accidents Concentrated in Seoul Metropolitan Area and at Night"

4,232 Vehicle Flooding Accidents in Three Years...
72.5% Occurred in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
Nighttime Flooding Accidents Account for 61.2%

Flooding accidents involving vehicles in operation were found to occur mainly during nighttime hours in the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, a total of 4,232 cases of vehicle flooding accidents while driving were reported to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance over the past three years, from 2022 to 2024. Of these, 72.5% occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area, the institute announced on August 8.

By region, Gyeonggi and Incheon accounted for the highest proportion at 44.1%, followed by Seoul at 28.4%, Gyeongsang region at 12.9%, Chungcheong region at 7.4%, Jeolla region at 5.5%, and Gangwon and Jeju at 1.6%.

A vehicle damaged by flooding is parked.

Within Seoul, Seocho District accounted for 31.2% and Gangnam District for 30.3% of flooding accidents. In Gyeonggi Province, Seongnam City accounted for 12.2% and Hwaseong City for 8.8% of cases.

By time of day, 61.2% of flooding accidents occurred while driving at night, a higher rate than during the daytime. Between 9:00 p.m. and midnight, 31.6% of all flooding accidents were concentrated within this three-hour window.

The average damage per case of nighttime vehicle flooding accidents was 8.62 million won, which is 1.4 times higher than during the daytime.

Among vehicle types, passenger sedans were particularly vulnerable to flooding, accounting for 72.5% of all such accidents. The average engine intake height of a passenger sedan is 29 centimeters, which is relatively lower than that of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) at 97 centimeters, making sedans more susceptible to flooding.

Jeon Jeho, a principal researcher at the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, stated, "If you encounter a flooded section while driving, you should not attempt to force your way through. If you have no choice but to drive through a flooded road, you should pass through slowly in one go. If your vehicle becomes flooded, do not attempt to start the engine; instead, have it towed and serviced immediately to minimize damage."