Ignoring traffic signals and riding on sidewalks: 1.6 million motorcycle traffic violations in the past five years - South Korean report

It was found that the number of motorcycle traffic violations over the past five years has reached more than 1.6 million, with an average of more than 25,000 deaths and injuries.
Rep. Min Hong-chul of the Democratic Party of Korea, who sits on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee,
According to an analysis of the data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, a total of 97,616 motorcycle traffic accidents occurred in the past five years, resulting in 2,358 deaths and 125,266 injuries.
By fiscal year, there were 20,898 cases in 2019 (498 deaths, 26,514 injuries), 21,258 cases in 2020 (525 deaths, 27,348 injuries), and 1,000 cases in 2021.
20,598 cases in 2020 (459 deaths, 26,617 injuries), 18,295 cases in 2022 (484 deaths, 23,469 injuries), 16,567 cases in 2023 (3 deaths)
92 fatalities and 21,318 injuries. By cause of accidents, 51,114 were due to failure to drive safely, 20,093 due to ignoring traffic signals, 6,516 due to not keeping a safe distance from other vehicles, and 2,297 due to incorrect intersection procedures.
There were 4,828 violations regarding road safety, 4,144 violations regarding crossing the center line, 2,357 violations regarding failure to protect pedestrians, 723 violations regarding speeding, and 8,353 other violations.
In addition, an analysis of the crackdown on motorcycles by traffic violation revealed that motorcycles were the most frequently arrested.
The most reported violations were "not wearing protective equipment," with a total of 691,140 cases reported over the five-year period.
This was followed by ignoring traffic signals with 334,478 cases, driving on the sidewalk with 78,282 cases, crossing the center line with 36,174 cases, and violating safe driving regulations with 17,942 cases.
"Compared to passenger cars, motorcycles are structurally less stable when they are driven, making them more vulnerable to traffic accidents, and in the event of an accident, the body is more likely to be exposed to the elements, leading to serious injuries," said Rep. Min.
"We must take every possible measure to prevent motor vehicle accidents and violations of traffic laws and ensure the safety of our citizens," he said.