Under the new regulations from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released Thursday, all passenger cars will be required to feature road traffic safety devices, while electric cars with no engine sound will adopt emergency braking systems in an effort to curb road accidents. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEJONG, Oct. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government is set to make the inclusion of both lane departure warning and advanced emergency braking systems mandatory in all passenger cars from 2021, as part of efforts to curb drowsy driving.
Under the new regulations from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released Thursday, all passenger cars will be required to feature road traffic safety devices, while electric cars with no engine sound will adopt emergency braking systems in an effort to curb road accidents.
The latest decision by the transport ministry comes following nationwide regulations introduced earlier this year targeting large vehicles such as buses.
With the new update, the types of vehicles subject to the requirement of advanced emergency braking system (AEBS) and lane departure warning system (LDWS) equipment have increased significantly.
Previously, mandatory road traffic safety devices only applied to passenger cars longer than 11 meters in length and trucks with an operating weight of over 20 tons.
However, the new legislation to tackle drowsy sleeping and road accidents will see the rule applied across the vehicle spectrum, including all passenger cars as well as trucks with an operating weight of over 3.5 tons.
The new regulations are set to enter effect for cars with air brakes from 2019 and other vehicles and trucks from July 2021.
The South Korean government is set to make the inclusion of both lane departure warning and advanced emergency braking systems mandatory in all passenger cars from 2021, as part of efforts to curb drowsy driving. (Image: Kobiz Media)
The push for mandatory AEBS and LDWS comes amid a growing number of road accidents caused by drowsy driving, as an AEBS automatically put on the brakes when the distance between vehicles drops below a certain threshold, while an LDWS alarms drivers with vibration and sound when a vehicle departs its lane, both of which can help curb car accidents.
More than 5,000 car accidents resulted from drowsy driving last year, with nearly 38 percent leading to road departure, according to the research affiliate of Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance.
“With the expansion of compulsory AEBS and LDWS equipment as well as other passenger safety device requirements, we hope we can curb traffic accidents and help secure a safer environment for the public,” an official from the transport ministry said.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
