6.05 Million Vehicles Expected on Expressways Daily During Chuseok; Acting Police Chief Checks Holiday Traffic Safety

[Financial News] Kim Jong-chul, acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, visited an expressway traffic safety site ahead of the Chuseok holiday and urged motorists to drive safely.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on the 24th, Kim visited Seoul TG on the Gyeongbu Expressway at around 10:20 a.m. that day and took part in a traffic safety campaign. The campaign was organized to encourage safe travel as expressway traffic was expected to be concentrated during the shorter holiday period than last year. Yoo Jeong-hoon, president of the Korea Expressway Corporation, and officials from related agencies also participated.
After the campaign, Kim boarded a helicopter to inspect traffic conditions on the Gyeongbu Expressway on the first day of the holiday.
Police have placed the expressways under an emergency-duty system to prevent traffic accidents during the Chuseok holiday. They plan to conduct mobile drink-driving enforcement by changing locations frequently and carry out coordinated ground-and-aerial enforcement using unmarked patrol cars and helicopters, focusing their safety operations on major high-risk sections.
Through the 27th, police will focus particularly on managing traffic for holiday outbound and return travel. Traffic management will be conducted on 138 sections across 27 routes where major congestion is expected, while a standing emergency-duty system will operate throughout the holiday. In cooperation with the Korea Expressway Corporation, operating hours for the bus-only lanes on the 134.1-kilometer section from Yangjae Interchange (IC) to Sintanjin Interchange (IC) will be extended from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day. Temporary shoulder lanes and deceleration lanes will also be operated.
Police forecast that average daily traffic on expressways during this Chuseok holiday will reach approximately 6.05 million vehicles. That would be 11.8% higher than last year's daily average of approximately 5.41 million vehicles. As many as 6.84 million vehicles are expected to travel on Chuseok Day.
Kim said, "To ensure a safe and peaceful Chuseok holiday, please make sure that everyone in the vehicle wears a seat belt when using the expressways. Since families will be traveling together, I also urge you to drive with plenty of time to spare and get sufficient rest to prevent accidents."
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter