Crackdown Also Targets Illegal Modifications Linked to Reckless Riding
The police will carry out an intensive crackdown on so-called 'March 1st reckless biker groups'.
The National Police Agency announced on the 26th that, in cooperation with municipal and provincial autonomous police commissions nationwide, it will conduct an intensive crackdown on reckless driving by motorcycles from the 28th of this month through March 1. Although large-scale group motorcycle rampages have disappeared, small-scale reckless riding has been reoccurring on commemorative days such as March 1st Independence Movement Day and Memorial Day since 2023, mainly in specific areas, and the police plan to eradicate these reckless biker groups that cause inconvenience to the public and threaten traffic safety.
The police are cracking down on reckless driving in the Sinbu-dong area of Dongnam-gu, Cheonan. Yonhap News
The key focus areas of this crackdown on reckless riding are: ▲jointly creating dangerous situations with multiple motorcycles ▲reckless driving ▲causing excessive noise ▲sudden lane changes (so-called 'knife-cut' lane changing). First, each local police station will identify in advance the areas and time periods where such behavior is likely to occur by analyzing 112 emergency calls and social media activity. Based on this, patrol cars and police motorcycles will be preemptively deployed to carry out intensive patrols and on-site crackdowns in order to suppress the atmosphere of reckless riding in advance.
In addition, when reckless riding is detected or reported, not only traffic police but also local police, detectives, and mobile patrol units will mobilize all available personnel and equipment to strictly crack down on and investigate traffic law violations from the initial stage.
However, to prevent casualties caused by excessive pursuits, in cases where on-site arrests are difficult, the police will first secure evidence and then conduct follow-up investigations, with the aim of spreading the perception that reckless riding will inevitably be punished.
Furthermore, in cooperation with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the police will also investigate illegal modifications of motorcycles and other vehicles that accompany reckless riding. When an illegally modified vehicle is found, not only the owner but also the person or shop that carried out the structural modification will be held legally responsible. Violations such as failure to attach license plates will be reported to local governments to ensure that administrative fines are invariably imposed.
Kim Hosung, Director General of the Community Safety and Traffic Bureau at the National Police Agency, said, "We will prepare and respond by establishing enforcement plans tailored to local conditions, and we will continue to manage behaviors that cause inconvenience in daily life, such as motorcycle noise, in order to foster a culture of safety."
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