Reports of Motorcycle Traffic Violations Rise 1.8-Fold: “Improved AI Convenience Cited as a Factor”

[Financial News] The Public Interest Traffic Safety Reporting Group reported 76,623 motorcycle traffic-law violations in the first half of this year, approximately 1.8 times the figure for the same period last year. The increase is attributed to improved convenience for reporters after artificial intelligence (AI) was used to classify Safety e-Report data and automate performance aggregation and reward calculations.
According to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) on the 11th, reports of motorcycle traffic-law violations totaled 76,623 in the first half of this year, up 32,882 from 43,741 during the same period last year. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), TS receives shared data on reports submitted by the group through Safety e-Report and has introduced a system that automatically aggregates performance without requiring participants to submit their records separately.
Previously, reporters had to submit their reporting records by email every month. Now, AI classifies the records based on the original report data and automatically handles the reward calculation process as well.
A satisfaction survey conducted among group participants in August found that 94% of respondents were satisfied with this automatic aggregation system.
The Public Interest Traffic Safety Reporting Group is a public participation program introduced in 2020 to reduce motorcycle traffic accidents. Applications are currently accepted on an ongoing basis. The seven reportable categories are violations of signals or instructions; riding on sidewalks; violations involving lane separation, such as crossing the centerline; failure to wear protective equipment; violations of the duty to protect pedestrians; violations of bans on U-turns, crossing, or reversing; and illegal modification of mufflers.
The number of reports submitted by the group rose from approximately 52,000 in 2020 to approximately 1.13 million cumulatively in 2025. Signal violations accounted for approximately 580,000 reports, or 50.8% of the cumulative total.
Motorcycle traffic fatalities fell 26.1%, from 525 in 2020, the first year of the program, to 388 in 2025. By year, the figures were 459 in 2021, 484 in 2022, 392 in 2023, and 361 in 2024.
Over the same period, motorcycle traffic fatalities resulting from signal-violation accidents fell 42.9%, from 98 to 56. TS analyzed the increase in public-interest reporting and the decline in motorcycle traffic fatalities as being related.
If a reporter believes they have suffered harm or may face harm because of a public-interest report, they may request personal protection from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) under the PUBLIC INTEREST WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT. However, participation may be restricted if the reporter violates traffic laws while filming, demands that the official handling the report alter the outcome, uses abusive or profane language, or files repeated complaints.
Yong-Sik Jung, president of TS, stated, "We will continue to improve the convenience of reporting for the Public Interest Traffic Safety Reporting Group, analyze accumulated reporting data with AI and reflect the findings in traffic safety policies, and do our utmost to promote a traffic safety culture together with the public."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter