"Cracking Down on Morning Hangover Driving" Seoul Police Launch Intensive School Zone Enforcement

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 2nd that it will launch a large-scale crackdown on driving with a hangover on routes to elementary schools as the new semester begins. The campaign is part of the "Seoul Traffic Re-Design Project," which aims to reduce traffic inconveniences and build a safer traffic culture.
The police will mobilize all available traffic officers and deploy them intensively to locations most requested by citizens. On the 4th, 264 traffic officers from 31 police stations in Seoul and 21 members of the traffic mobile unit will be stationed in front of elementary schools to conduct simultaneous enforcement during morning drop-off hours.
In particular, officers will focus on cracking down on drunk driving within school zones, including driving with a hangover. They will also both guide and enforce against red-light running and other violations that threaten children's safety while walking.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) also carried out at least one "intensive crackdown on drunk driving in school zones" every week last year. As a result, from March 5 to December 31, they detected 138 cases of drunk driving in school zones during morning school hours, including 28 license revocations and 110 suspensions.
During the same period, there were no child traffic fatalities in school zones. The total number of traffic accidents in these areas was 62, a 22.5% decrease from 80 cases in the same period a year earlier.
Police believe that stricter enforcement, combined with tailored preventive education and publicity campaigns, contributed to the decline in accidents.
This year as well, traffic officers, members of the Korea Green Mothers Association, and exemplary drivers will be concentrated in school zones during morning hours to strengthen guidance on safe walking routes for children. In the afternoon, patrols will be expanded from 1 p.m. to nearby areas such as playgrounds, taking into account different dismissal times by grade.
In cooperation with local governments, the police will also crack down on illegal parking and stopping, and inspect whether safety rules are being followed at construction sites within school zones. In addition, they plan to install more pedestrian safety fences and respond strictly to failures to make a full stop at crosswalks without traffic lights.
An SMPA official stated, "Children are short and often run out unexpectedly, so if someone drives while in a hangover state, the risk of a traffic accident becomes much higher," adding, "We will continue to step up enforcement so that school zones remain completely free from drunk driving."


jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter