The number of secondary car accidents on Korea's expressways has increased by nearly 40 percent since 2020, new data from the Korea Expressway Corp. showed Thursday. Such crashes are often more deadly than the initial or "primary" crash.
Seventy secondary crashes were recorded on expressways across the country last year, up from 51 in 2020, according to the KEC data revealed by Rep. Park Yong-gab of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. These accidents occur as a direct consequence of a prior collision, and often happen when the victims are most vulnerable, outside their vehicles or unaware of incoming danger.
The figure contrasts the decrease in the total number of traffic accidents recorded on expressways in the same period, which went from 1,834 to 1,574.
The fatality rate for secondary accidents was 44.3 percent last year, substantially higher than the 10.1 percent for all expressway accidents. From 2021 to 2023, more than half (54.3 percent) of secondary crashes resulted in death.
As secondary accidents have a higher chance of injury or death, the KEC conducts a campaign to inform people of appropriate measures to take after being involved in a car accident. Notable steps involve opening the trunk of the car, turning on the hazard lights to signal the oncoming traffic, and stepping away from the lanes.
Rep. Park's report showed that 76 percent of secondary car crashes on expressways last year happened because the driver did not pay enough attention to the road, while 16 percent occurred because the driver was dozing off.
A total of 46 secondary car accidents (66 percent) happened at night, suggesting that visual challenges could also be a significant factor causing such crashes.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
