Drunk Driving Ups Traffic Deaths
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The number of traffic accident deaths has risen since early this year, mostly attributed to an increase in drunken driving, the National Police Agency said on Friday.
The police said that 1,362 people had died from traffic accidents between January and March, which represents an increase of 104 during the same period a year ago.
Among the deceased, 248 people were found to be drunk. Last year, the number stood at 178, almost a 30 percent increase.
Most accidents took place during the weekend, from Friday night to early Monday, when many people go out drinking.
Cars hitting pedestrians took the largest toll, accounting for 568 people deaths, but the number who died while involved in collisions decreased from 500 to 497.
Motorbike crash deaths were the fastest increasing with the number jumping from 65 to 92.
The police said they would tighten sobriety checks, safety belt checks and increase road security in general.