TS Launches Safe Electric Vehicle Campaign in Jeju, Offers Charging Safety Guidelines

[Financial News] The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS), together with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters, is launching a safety campaign to prevent electric vehicle fires. Notices will be posted at public fast chargers in Jeju to inform drivers of three key safety rules they should follow in their daily lives.
The Korea Automobile Safety Research Institute said on the 16th that it would begin the Safe Electric Vehicle Use Campaign that day for electric vehicle drivers and tourists in Jeju. The campaign will be piloted in Jeju, which has the highest electric vehicle adoption rate in the country, before being expanded nationwide.
The key rules are to check whether the charging connector is damaged or contains foreign objects, and to have the vehicle inspected at a service center if the battery has been impacted or the vehicle has been involved in an accident. Drivers are also instructed never to touch the orange high-voltage cables inside the vehicle.
The campaign was developed based on electric vehicle fire investigation data accumulated by the Korea Automobile Safety Research Institute and its analysis of the causes. The analysis found that, in addition to mechanical and electrical defects, fires caused by failure to inspect batteries after impacts, poor vehicle maintenance, faulty contact with charging connectors, and externally installed equipment such as auxiliary batteries accounted for a significant share of cases.
Stickers for the Safe Electric Vehicle Use Guide will be placed on public fast chargers managed by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office.
The campaign will also explain how to report vehicle defects through the Automobile Recall Center and check whether a vehicle is subject to a recall. The Korea Automobile Safety Research Institute plans to review on-site conditions and user feedback to identify ways to improve the campaign.
Yong-Sik Jung, president of TS, said, "Electric vehicle safety can be ensured only when proper safety management habits among drivers accompany technical verification." He added, "We will listen closely to voices from the field, identify areas for improvement, and take the lead in establishing a culture of safe electric vehicle use nationwide."
[email protected] Ga-young Choi Reporter