Although the situation is improving bit by bit, Korean roads are still among the most dangerous in the world. This is shameful for a country whose economic power ranks among the world’s top 10 and which is the world’s fifth-largest producer of cars.

Recent data shows Korea’s traffic fatality rates are the highest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

For instance, 2.4 people were killed for every 10,000 vehicles in 2012, which is the most among the 34 members of the club of developed economies. The road fatality rate per 100,000 inhabitants is 13.9, which is lower than only two OECD members ― Mexico with 17.4 and Chile with 14.

The 2012 fatality rate per 10,000 vehicles is an improvement of 3.45 in 2005 and the rate per 100,000 habitants is better than that of 25.2 in 2002. These changes should not come as a relief, however.

An estimate shows that traffic-related fatalities cost the nation 23.6 trillion won each year, which is 7 percent of the state budget. That’s without even considering the immeasurable social costs and human suffering caused by the loss of life.

There are a host of problems that combine to make Korean roads dangerous to walk and drive on. First, many Koreans ignore traffic laws and regulations, such as those on speeding, drunk driving and traffic lights, among other things.

For instance, drunken driving alone killed 720 people in 2013. Police figures show that more than 1.2 million people were caught driving under the influence of alcohol from 2010 to the first six months of this year. This amounts to a daily average of 732 people.

A bigger problem is that 41.8 percent of them were second-time offenders and more than 190,000 people were caught for a third time. The truth is that we don’t know exactly how many more hit the road after drinking, which threatens the lives of not only them but also other innocent people.

Negligence and lack of safety consciousness is another major cause of the high traffic fatality rates. Statistics show that pedestrian fatalities made up 39 percent of the road deaths, almost double the OECD average of 18 percent. This is a combined result of drivers’ negligence and pedestrians’ behavior, including jaywalking and the use of digital devices on the road.

This raises the importance of regulating the use of cellphones and digital devices for both drivers and pedestrians.

The easiest and most effective means to bring down the high traffic fatality rates is to strengthen regulations and impose heavier penalties for violators. For instance, regulations and penalties for motorists who violate the speed limit and drunkards who get behind the wheel should be drastically toughened.

Equally important is improving the nation’s notorious traffic culture, such as its reckless, inconsiderate driving. It would be better for the government to hold yearlong public road safety campaigns in conjunction with related NGOs and industries.