Reports of animal roadkill have been rising steadily, from 14,178 cases in 2015 to 19,368 cases in 2019. (image: Korea Roadkill Prevention Association)
SEOUL, July 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean drivers will now be able to use a voice recognition system in their navigation apps to report an animal injury caused by a car accident without having to make a phone call.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety and South Chungcheong Province began testing the ‘Roadkill Reporting Service’ on Monday.
Reports of animal roadkill have been rising steadily, from 14,178 cases in 2015 to 19,368 cases in 2019.
Secondary accidents that occur while attempting to dodge animal carcasses left on the road are also a threat.
However, roadkill reports were only available via phone calls or smartphone apps, preventing drivers from reporting situations on site. A considerable amount of time was also spent on locating where the accident had occurred.
In response, governmental agencies and SK Telecom Co., South Korea’s leading mobile carrier, joined hands to develop a voice recognition system for reporting roadkill through navigation apps.
The service will be introduced to all drivers in South Chungcheong Province using SK Telecom’s T Map navigation app.
If a driver finds a roadkill animal, he or she can report it directly to T Map by asking it to report a roadkill, which will then automatically notify the 110 Government Call Center and its related agencies.
All reports will be transferred to authorities with jurisdiction over the location where the accident occurred.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
