Everyone in a car must now buckle up. Following two months of campaigning, police have begun a crackdown to ensure everyone in every vehicle is wearing a seatbelt. Mike Balfour reports.

The police stop a car.

The driver is detained for having a back seat passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt.

Recording
Police officer
We began a seatbelt crackdown December first. The back passenger wasn't buckled up.
Driver’s license, please.
<싱크 : 단속 경찰>
"12월 1일부터 전 좌석 안전띠 단속 기간입니다. 뒷자리 동승자 (안전띠) 안 매서 운전자 면허증 좀 주세요."

A few minutes later, another driver was caught.

The driver said they were unaware of the recently revised traffic laws that took effect September 28,

According to the revised laws, all those within a vehicle on all of Korea's roads must be wearing a seatbelt whenever their vehicle is in motion.

Recording
Police officer
Do you know that seatbelt use is mandatory and that there is a crackdown in December? (No, I don’t.)
<싱크: 단속 경찰>
"12월부터 전 좌석 안전띠 특별단속하는 거 알고 있나요? (아니요.) 몰랐어요."

Some drivers insist that they had fastened their seatbelt even when they are caught unfastened.

Recording
Police officer
My colleague observed that the seatbelt was not fastened. (No, no. You can check and see when I put it on.)
<싱크 : 단속 경찰>
"저희 경찰관 눈으로 직접 확인한 겁니다. (아니요. 아니요. 언제 제가 안전띠를 차고 있었는지 보면 될거 아니에요.)

Following two months of campaigning after the revision of the traffic laws, police have started to crackdown on seatbelt offenses.


A driver will be fined 30,000 won if any of their passengers violates the new law.

The fine will jump to 60,000 won if the passenger is 13 or younger, or if a child of 6 or younger is not in a car seat.


Taxis, intercity buses and school buses are not exempt from the law.

Only an average of 29.8 percent of passengers in back seats use seatbelts.

[slug] Seatbelt reduces risk of dying in crash by 30%

Experts say seatbelts reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 30 percent.

INTERVIEW
Oh Gyeong-jin / Jeju Municipal Police
In an accident, injuries can be more severe if a seatbelt is not used. That’s why seatbelt use has become mandatory for everyone in a vehicle.
<인터뷰 : 오경진/ 제주도자치경찰단 교통생활안전과 경위>
"안전띠를 착용하지 않으면 사고가 났을 때 부상 정도가 심해질 수 있어 운전자를 비롯해 전 좌석에 안전띠 착용을 의무화하는 겁니다."

[Reporter] Mike Balfour
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon

During the one-month long seatbelt crackdown, police are focusing on checking if drivers and passengers are buckled up.

Mike Balfour, KCTV