Crackdown on Summer Alcohol Accidents


During the quiet morning hours, police cars arrive one after another on the road.
The police officers quickly get out of their vehicles and rush towards something.
Amidst the busy movements, ambulances and fire trucks also arrive at high speed.


On June 25th, this is the scene of a traffic accident that occurred on a road near (협재) Hyeopjae Beach in Jeju City.

A pedestrian was hit by the side mirror of a van driven by a driver in his 50s.


As a result of this accident, a woman in her 80s was seriously injured and is currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

It was revealed that the driver's blood alcohol level at the time was at a level that would result in a suspension of their driver's license.


On the same night, in (도순동) Dosun-dong, Seogwipo City, there was an accident where a sedan collided with a parked vehicle and overturned.


Although no one was injured, the driver in his 30s was arrested on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act after refusing the police's alcohol test.


In a public parking lot in (노형동) Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City, a man in his 40s who was driving in a drunken state not only was suspected of drunk driving but also assaulted the police officer who responded to the report.

Within a day, incidents and accidents caused by alcohol consumption occurred throughout the island.


Recently, with the approach of the summer vacation season, drunk driving has become even more prevalent.


In the past three years, there have been over 4,600 cases of drunk driving reported by the police.

Among these cases, 1,338 individuals were caught during the summer months of June and August alone, accounting for approximately 30 percent of the total incidents.



Indeed, the number of drunk driving accidents also accounts for a significant portion during the summer season, representing approximately 26 percent of the total incidents.


Especially concerning is the fact that the percentage of injuries caused by drunk driving accidents during the summer season, which had dropped to 21 percent at one point, spiked up to 30 percent last year.


The police have plans to strengthen enforcement, focusing on beach areas and other popular destinations for vacationers and tourists until August.

INTERVIEW
Kim Guk-hyeon / Representative, Jeju Police Agency
With the opening of beaches and the vacation season, it is expected that there will be a concentration of residents and tourists. Therefore, until the beach season ends on August 31, we will mobilize all available personnel for drunk driving crackdowns during the day, night, and early mornings.

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the upcoming vacation season is upon us.

The thought of having one or two drinks may seem harmless, but it can lead to significant accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to be especially vigilant and exercise caution during this period.



한적한 오전 시간,
도로에 경찰차가 연이어 도착합니다.

곧바로 경찰들이 차에서 내려 급히 뛰어갑니다.

분주히 움직이는 사이,
구급차와 소방차도 빠른 속도로 달려옵니다.

지난 25일,
제주시 협재해수욕장 인근 도로에서 발생한 교통사고 현장입니다.

50대 운전자가 몰던 승합차 사이드 미러에
보행자가 치인 겁니다.

이 사고로 80대 할머니가 크게 다쳐
병원에서 치료를 받고 있는데,

당시 운전자의 혈중알코올농도는
면허 정지 수준이였던 것으로 알려졌습니다.

같은날 밤, 서귀포시 도순동에서는
승용차가 주차된 차량을 들이받고 전복되는 사고가 났습니다.


다친 사람은 없었지만
30대 운전자가
경찰의 음주 측정을 거부해
도로교통법 위반 혐의로 체포됐고


제주시 노형동의 한 공영주차장에서는
만취 상태로
차량을 몰던 40대 남성이

음주운전 의심 신고를 받고
출동한 경찰관을 폭행하기도 했습니다.

하루동안 제주 곳곳에서
음주로 인한 사건사고가 발생한 겁니다.

최근 여름 휴가철이 다가오면서
음주운전이 한층 기승을 부리고 있습니다.



최근 3년간 경찰에 적발된 음주운전자는 4천 600여명.

여름철인 6월과 8월에 적발된 건
1천 3백 38명으로
전체의 30%에 달합니다.



음주교통사고 발생건수 역시
여름철에
전체의 26%에 이르고 있고


특히 21% 까지 떨어졌던
여름철 음주 사고로 발생한 부상자 비율도
지난해에는
30% 까지 치솟았습니다.


경찰은 오는 8월까지
해수욕장 등
피서객과 관광객이 몰리는 곳을 중심으로 단속을 강화할 계획입니다.

<인터뷰 : 김국현 / 제주경찰청 안전계장>
해수욕장 개장과 휴가철 맞아 도민이나 관광객이 집중될 걸로 보입니다. 그래서 해수욕장 개장 기간인 8월 31일까지 제주경찰청, 경찰서의 교통 내·외근 등 가용병력을 총동원해서 주간, 야간, 새벽시간대 포함해서 집중 (음주) 단속할 예정입니다."

코로나 해제 이후 맞는 휴가철.

들뜬 마음에
한 두잔은 괜찮겠지 라는 생각은
큰 사고로 이어질 수 있는 만큼 각별한 주의가 필요합니다.