While the time taken to detect highway accidents has improved, the response time for patrol cars has actually increased. This delay has led to a rise in 'secondary accidents,' where vehicles stop at the scene or are struck by following vehicles, prompting calls for enhanced on-site response measures.
According to data submitted by Rep. Bok Gi-wang of the Democratic Party to the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, there were a total of 8,770 traffic accidents on highways from 2021 to August of this year, resulting in 906 fatalities.
Among these, 339 were classified as secondary accidents, leading to 161 deaths and 310 injuries. This means that 17.8% of all traffic accident fatalities were due to secondary accidents. The fatality rate, which indicates the number of deaths per 100 accidents, was 47.5 for secondary accidents, significantly higher than the 8.8 for general accidents, making it 5.4 times greater.
While general traffic accidents have decreased, secondary accidents are on the rise. Comparing 2021 to last year, general accidents fell by 19.6%, while secondary accidents increased from 50 to 65, a 30% rise. During the same period, injuries from secondary accidents surged from 35 to 67, a 91.4% increase. As of August this year, there have been 53 secondary accidents, resulting in 23 deaths.
Despite the faster detection of accidents, the time it takes for patrol cars to arrive at the scene has lengthened. Over the past five years, secondary accidents occurred an average of 5 minutes and 54 seconds after a preceding accident or vehicle breakdown, while the response time for patrol cars increased from 10 minutes and 30 seconds in 2021 to 15 minutes and 1 second as of August this year, a 43% increase. In contrast, the time taken to detect accidents has been reduced by 47.2%.
The risk of secondary accidents is particularly high during late night and early morning hours. A total of 39.1% (63) of secondary accident fatalities occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. During this time frame, secondary accidents accounted for 33.6% of all accidents, double the rate of general accidents at 16.8%.
However, the Korea Expressway Corporation's 'Comprehensive Measures for Preventing Secondary Accidents' does not include specific goals for reducing patrol car response times. The 12 detailed measures focus on accident detection, information sharing, and public awareness, but lack plans for improving response times or increasing patrol personnel and stations.
In contrast, the UK set a goal in 2020 to reduce average response times on certain highway sections from 17 minutes to 10 minutes, expanding personnel and response points, ultimately achieving a response time of 9 minutes and 49 seconds by 2022. The Korea Expressway Corporation's response time has increased from 10 minutes and 30 seconds in 2021 to 17 minutes and 10 seconds in 2024.
Rep. Bok stated, "Secondary accidents occur within an average of 6 minutes, but patrol cars arrive after 15 minutes. This structure leads to fatalities before help arrives. We need to manage the speed of response to the scene as effectively as we do accident information collection."
He emphasized the need to set goals for reducing response times and to increase patrol personnel and stations in high-risk areas for secondary accidents, particularly during late night and early morning hours.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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