'Action for Road Safety' campaign off and running

Executives from companies participating in the “Action for Road Safety” campaign cross hands at the launching ceremony at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo

The Korea Automobile Racing Association (KARA) has launched an “entertaining” nationwide safe driving campaign to help reduce traffic accidents.

The “Action for Road Safety” campaign will continue for a month, during which users of T Map, one of South Korea’s most widely used GPS navigation apps, will be able to update the app to take part in the merit-based game while driving.

Simply put, the app monitors everything the driver does, including speeding and quick starting. Points will be awarded to people verified as safe drivers.

The association will announce the 200 best drivers on Sept. 27. The highest scorer will be awarded two VIP tickets worth 15 million won ($13,392) to the World Rally Championship, an annual international motor rally show.

Two second-best scorers will receive advanced driver-assistance programs worth 1.3 million won. The other selected drivers will receive souvenirs.

“We hope this campaign will help drivers take more care to drive safely,” said KARA chief Son Gwan-soo.

SK Telecom, which developed T Map, provided technological assistance for the campaign.

Other corporate supporters are the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, Hyundai Motors, BMW Korea, Nexen Tire, Eduhong, JCDecaux, Super Race, CJ Logistics, CGV and Inje Speedium.

This event is part of a global safe driving campaign launched by Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) in association with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.