The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will launch a crackdown on traffic violations by commercial vehicles, including buses, taxis and cargo trucks.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 31st, police will focus for two months from June on cracking down on drunken driving, signal violations, cutting in and tailgating by commercial vehicles. Failure to make a full stop before turning right, illegal parking and stopping, illegal modifications and overloading will also be targeted.
Police plan to conduct unannounced sobriety checkpoints in areas where commercial drivers gather, such as at transport company depots, large construction sites and drivers' restaurants. They will also carry out video enforcement using camcorders while on patrol.
Unmarked patrol cars will also be deployed to crack down on speeding and vehicles cutting in. For illegally modified vehicles, authorities plan to work with local governments and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) to enforce the rules.
The total number of traffic accidents in Seoul last year was 34,139, down 14.4% from 39,893 in 2016. However, traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles last year totaled 9,767, up 15.9% from 8,427 in 2021.
A police official said, "Commercial vehicles operate longer hours and distances than regular cars, which increases the risk of accidents," and noted, "Because the likelihood of a major crash is also high, drivers and operators need to exercise particular caution."