The Chupungryeong Service Area, known as the first rest area on the Expressway, is now home to a ‘Expressway History and Culture Space’. (Image courtesy of Korea Expressway Corporation)
SEOUL, Mar. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea recorded its lowest number of fatalities from highway traffic accidents last year, a mere 150 deaths that officials attribute largely to increased efforts to prevent drowsy driving through expanded rest areas and improved facilities.
According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, the 2023 death toll marked a decrease of six from the previous year and a 43.2 percent plunge from 264 fatalities a decade earlier in 2013.
Considering that highway traffic volume grew 32 percent over that span, experts regard the reduced fatality rate as a significant achievement.
At 1.24 deaths per billion vehicle-kilometers traveled, South Korea’s highway fatality rate now ranks seventh-lowest among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Experts cite synergies from improved driving habits like increased seatbelt use, the introduction of infrastructure to deter drowsy driving like rest areas, and enhanced road markings as key contributors to the declining death toll.
“The only way to prevent drowsy driving is through rest,” said an official from the expressway corporation, which has focused policies on that preventive approach.
Siheung Haneul Service Area, also known as a floating rest area on the highway, is known as the first regular rest area on the Capital Region First Ring Expressway. (Image courtesy of Korea Expressway Corporation)
In areas where permanent rest stops are difficult to construct, the agency has utilized vacant land to build 244 dedicated rest zones, with five more planned this year.
Drowsy driving had been identified as the cause of 71 percent of the 832 highway fatalities over the previous five years.
“Compared to 2010, the number of deaths from drowsy driving has decreased by over 42 percent,” the official said, adding that the average distance between rest facilities has shrunk from 22.1 kilometers (13.7 miles) in 2010 to 14.2 kilometers last year.
For long-haul truckers frequently traveling at night, the corporation has opened 54 “truck lounges” at rest stops across the nation, with shower and sleeping quarters. While aimed at commercial drivers, the lounges are free for personal vehicles as well. Five more truck lounges will open this year.
A smartphone app campaign launched in June 2022 called “Drowsy? Time to Rest!” has also earned positive reviews from motorists.
It encourages participating long-distance drivers to take 15-minute breaks, awarding points redeemable for mobile coupons at chains like Starbucks and GS25 convenience stores.
Some 100,000 drivers authenticated over 1 million rest breaks through the app last year.
Beyond preventing drowsy driving, South Korea has elevated the overall rest stop experience. What were once purely functional facilities have transformed into attractions with themed amenities, popular restaurant franchises and even robotic chefs — changes aimed at enticing drivers to stop more frequently.
The expressway corporation has made food a central focus, recruiting restaurants offering regional delicacies and those certified as having been in business for over 30 years. It has also worked to alter perceptions of high prices at rest stops through promotional pricing on snacks.
“Customers’ top interest at rest stops is the food,” said an official, pledging strict vetting and quality control of the “premium restaurants” selected for the stops.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
