Driving in Korea

By Dale Quarrington

So when exactly does a red traffic light not mean stop?

Since moving to Korea in 2003, I’ve seen every possible traffic infraction. I’ve seen five students riding on a single scooter together without helmets.

I’ve also seen a motorcycle with three large propane canisters go up and over a walkway that spanned eight lanes of traffic. And the ramp it went up and down to get over the bridge was meant for baby strollers.

When my mom first visited Korea in 2004, the taxi we were driving in nearly got into an accident with another taxi.

So our taxi driver proceeded to speed up to 80 kilometers per hour, roll down his window, and curse at the other driver. As for highways, I’ve seen Korean drivers use the shoulder as a newly-built lane solely for their benefit.

In the span of a minute, I saw three separate vehicles use the shoulder, at a 100 kilometers an hour, to pass other vehicles. Additionally, I’ve seen an endless amount of cars that park anywhere and everywhere, including pedestrian sidewalks or even busy intersections.

Worse still, I’ve seen taxis speed through school zones while children are going to school in the morning. It would be fair to say that I’ve seen it all.

But just as soon as I say that, Korean drivers go out and prove me wrong.

So what does all this mean to Korean drivers and the amount of accidents they get in statistically? Some 231,990 traffic accidents occurred in Korea in 2009, injuring 361,875 and killing 5,838. The number of fatalities is three times higher in Korea than Canada, which has a prolonged winter.

In 2009, the three largest percentages of accidents were caused by the infringement of safe driving, the violation of traffic signals, and driving too close to the vehicle in front.

In total, these three basic violations of standard traffic laws, which I’ve personally seen on a daily basis, resulted in 178,476 of the total 231,990 accidents in 2009.

Statistically, these three repeated violations of basic traffic laws results in a mind-boggling 76.9 percent of all the total accidents in Korea.

So what then can the Korean government do to help curb the behavior of a population that has a difficult time following the simplest of traffic laws?

The short answer is for Korean drivers to obey the laws that are already in place. But that is easier said than done.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but there is an obvious lack of traffic police in Korea enforcing the laws. Also, built-in GPS systems in cars identify all upcoming radar traps. This is self-defeating.

Why have the radars at all if they’re only going to help drivers skirt the law. Personally, I think having more traffic police on the streets and not highlighting where upcoming radar traps are for speeders would go a long way in forcing the average Korean driver to obey the laws.

And for repeat offenders, those that don’t believe basic traffic laws apply to them, I think a mandatory retraining program would help go a long way in helping to keep Korean roads a lot safer.

This retraining program would include a written test, as well as numerous in-car training sessions that included safe lane changes, proper parking procedures, and not tail-gating.

By combining these three suggestions, drivers on Korean roads would be better protected from each other.

These suggestions would go a long way in protecting pedestrians that attempt to walk the streets.

Dale Quarrington has been living in Korea, on and off, since 2003. He currently resides and teaches in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. You can reach him through his blog: https://daleskoreantempleadventures.blogspot.com.