Unannounced Crackdowns and Intensive Cargo Truck Oversight in Parallel
All-Out Effort to Reduce Accidents with a Permanent Traffic Safety System
The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Police Agency has detected more than 700 cases of drunk driving through a year-end and New Year special crackdown, once again raising awareness of road safety.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced that as a result of the "Year-end and New Year Drunk Driving Special Crackdown" conducted over a two-month period from December 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026, a total of 712 drunk driving violations were detected.
This translates into more than about 10 cases per day on average, showing that dangerous driving in the relaxed year-end atmosphere is still being repeated.
The crackdown was carried out mainly on major arterial roads, entertainment districts, and accident-prone sections through mobile and random checkpoints. The police frequently changed checkpoint locations to prevent drivers from predicting them, and combined on-site guidance with publicity campaigns, focusing on spreading the perception that "crackdowns can happen anytime, anywhere."
The police also targeted not only drunk driving but also traffic law violations by cargo trucks, which account for a high proportion of fatal accidents. They plan to continue intensive crackdowns on risk factors such as overloading, improper loading, signal violations, and failure to wear seat belts until February 28, and to establish a permanent management system.
Oh Bumyeong, Commissioner of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, stated, "Drunk driving is not a simple mistake but a clear crime," adding, "We will protect the lives and safety of residents through year-round routine crackdowns and preventive activities." He added, "Active participation in reporting is necessary when a suspicious vehicle is spotted."
Going forward, the police plan to analyze accident data to strengthen tailored crackdowns by time and region, and to normalize mobile patrols and checkpoints, thereby shifting to a "daily-life traffic safety system."
The year-end crackdown is not an event. It is the minimum social promise to protect safety on the road. The number of detected cases is both a measure of enforcement performance and an indication of the remaining level of risk. A journey home without drunk driving is a yardstick for the dignity of the local community. It is now time for the idea that "if you drink, you do not drive" to take root as a culture, not as a matter of crackdowns.
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