The Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency will extend its intensive crackdown on "two-wheeler vehicles"—including motorcycles, bicycles and personal mobility (PM) devices—through the end of August, as fatal accidents involving them continue amid increased summer outdoor activity. The crackdown was originally scheduled to run through July, and police will pursue measures tailored to each accident factor.
According to the Ulsan police, the fatality rate for two-wheeler traffic accidents during the hot summer months (June to August) is on average 100 percent higher than in other seasons, as outdoor activity and the use of vehicles such as motorcycles sharply increase. In particular, an analysis of the five two-wheeler fatalities (preliminary) recorded so far this year through July found that four were elderly riders aged 65 or older. Fatalities involving "everyday-use motorcycles" used for commuting or daily purposes (four) far outnumbered those involving delivery motorcycles (one).
Ulsan has recently seen a string of fatal accidents caused by collisions between motorcycles and trucks, or between motorcycles themselves. As a result of the intensive crackdown police have conducted since June, a total of 1,624 violations have been caught as of this month, a 137.1 percent (939 cases) surge from the same period last year. The most common type of violation was signal violations at 606 cases, followed by failure to wear a helmet at 422 cases and violations of pedestrian protection obligations at 67 cases.
To reduce two-wheeler traffic accidents, the Ulsan police plan to greatly strengthen preventive patrols and enforcement of violations, focusing on locations and times where accidents frequently occur. In downtown areas, patrol cars and police motorcycles will be deployed forward for intensive patrols centered on accident-prone areas, while in the city's outskirts they will focus on residential and daily-life areas.
The police also plan to continue cracking down on failure to wear helmets, which is directly linked to casualties, to raise the wearing rate, while conducting active guidance and enforcement targeting elderly riders, who face a higher risk of accidents. For traffic disorder such as riding on crosswalks or sidewalks, they will strengthen after-the-fact enforcement using equipment such as camcorders and unmarked patrol cars, in addition to on-site enforcement.
During on-site enforcement, police will not simply check for traffic law violations, but comprehensively inspect overall traffic safety matters, including whether mandatory insurance has been obtained, damage to license plates and illegal modifications. In addition, through joint inspections with related agencies such as the road management authority, they will install safety equipment such as rear-facing enforcement cameras on straight sections with a high accident risk and actively reinforce facilities in vulnerable sections.
Beyond this, the police will also carry out tailored publicity and campaign activities, delivering accident-prevention letters to large workplaces, delivery companies and restaurants, and distributing promotional items such as high-luminance reflective sheets.
"Summer is the period with the most deaths from two-wheeler accidents, and because of their structural characteristics, two-wheelers are very likely to result in fatal harm when accidents occur," said Kim Dae-won, head of the traffic division at the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency. "We ask drivers for their special attention and safe driving."
