CHANGES OF SPEED AND SAFETY BY AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS

Speeding is considered one of the leading public health issues in Korea, because it is considered a major factor in the country's high rate of traffic fatalities. At the same time, there is widespread tolerance of driving above the speed limit for the enjoyment of the sensation of traveling fast. Korean officials began to deploy automated speed enforcement equipment in April 1997 to see if it would reduce speeding and traffic deaths and injuries. It was a massive effort, with more than 1,000 units in place by 2002. That number is expected to roughly double by 2003 and, by 2005, to double again for a total of 5,000. The data suggest that they were effective in cutting speeding violations and cutting fatal accidents. The units operate with speed measurements, plate number identification, automatic printing of a photograph and entry of the violation data for comparison and retrieval from a national database. The hope was to influence drivers' behavior by creating the impression that it was harder to evade and was fairer. Law enforcement agencies also hoped to make ticket issuing more efficient and enforcement safer. While nearly all drivers admitted to speeding under light traffic, support for the program was high, and 72% reported driving more slowly even where cameras were not in place.