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As mentioned millions of people will be on the road to visit family and friends during
the holiday.
But the influx of cars means there are greater dangers for traffic accidents.
Figures show the number of automobile accidents is more than double that on regular days.
Our Paul Yi reports. Often with the stress and rush to get to their holiday destinations,
drivers during the Lunar New Year period find themselves in serious crashes on the road.
According to Seoul Metropolitan Government traffic data from the last three years, an
average of 22 vehicle accidents were recorded each day on major urban expressways, in and
out of the capital over the Lunar New Year holiday.
That's more than twice the number of accidents reported in the days just before and after
the holiday.
The most common areas for vehicle collisions and other traffic-related accidents were found
to be on bridges and near interchange highway ramps.
Most accidents took place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the holiday period.
The hours between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., in particular, had the highest concentration of accidents.
The hour between 4 and 5 p.m. was also a peak period.
Analysis of traffic monitoring data also found that roads were most dangerous when people
were returning home.
A problem that becomes worse as the holiday weekend becomes shorter.
Traffic data showed that during a 3-day Lunar New Year holiday, over 15 accidents were recorded
daily on major roads.
However, when people have longer holiday periods, that number drops significantly.
As a result, Seoul City and Korea's Road Traffic Authority are warning drivers to heed special
attention to the road to avoid serious accidents and injuries.
It's recommended that you take frequent breaks during long trips, as a few minutes of rest
on the side of the road can save your life.
Paul Yi, Arirang News