In the past five years, traffic accidents occurring between midnight and 6 a.m. during the Chuseok holiday accounted for less than 10% of total incidents, yet they represented approximately 28% of fatalities. The fatality rate for this time frame was about 3.5 times higher than during other hours, highlighting the need for heightened caution among drivers returning home during the early morning hours.
On September 21, data submitted by Representative Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party to the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee revealed that there were a total of 11,510 traffic accidents during the Chuseok holidays from 2021 to 2025. These incidents resulted in 181 deaths and 18,903 injuries, averaging 426 accidents per day and approximately 6.7 fatalities.
Accidents occurring between midnight and 6 a.m. totaled 1,125, making up 9.8% of the overall incidents. However, this time frame accounted for 50 deaths, or 27.6% of total fatalities. The fatality rate, defined as the number of deaths per 100 accidents, was 4.4 during these hours, compared to 1.3 during other times.
Notably, the period from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. had the fewest accidents among the 12 two-hour segments analyzed, yet it exhibited the highest fatality rate. With 276 accidents recorded, 16 people lost their lives, resulting in a fatality rate of 5.8 per 100 accidents.
Hwang emphasized, “The early morning hours pose increased risks of drowsy driving and speeding, making it clear that relying solely on enforcement measures has limitations in preventing casualties. Adequate rest for drivers and participation in safe driving practices are essential.”
Repeated accident hotspots during the Chuseok holiday were also identified. An analysis of accidents within a 200-meter radius of the same location revealed that the area near the Geunmaul Intersection in Daejeon had the highest number of incidents, with 16 accidents. This was followed by 13 accidents near the Moran Intersection in Seongnam, and 10 accidents each near the Gwangalli Beach Intersection in Busan and the overpass intersection in Suwon.
In total, the top 20 accident-prone locations recorded 178 accidents over the past five years. Of these, 104 were vehicle-to-vehicle collisions (58.4%), while 71 involved vehicles and pedestrians (39.9%). There were also three single-vehicle accidents (1.7%).
The most common type of traffic violation at these locations was failure to comply with safe driving obligations, accounting for 108 cases (60.7%). This was followed by 20 cases of running red lights (11.2%) and 16 cases of failing to maintain a safe distance (9.0%).
Regionally, the total number of accidents was highest in Gyeonggi Province with 2,858 incidents, followed by Seoul with 1,688 and North Gyeongsang Province with 706. The highest number of fatalities occurred in Gyeonggi Province with 36 deaths, followed by North Gyeongsang with 21, and both South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang with 18 each, and North Jeolla with 16.
Hwang urged, “The government and road management agencies must improve access to rest facilities during early morning hours and implement effective preventive measures, such as variable message signs and warning signals, to ensure drivers can immediately recognize potential dangers.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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