This year's traffic accident deaths likely fall by 400

This year's traffic accident deaths will likely fall by 400 people. According to National Police Agency on Sunday, 3,433 died from traffic accidents in the first 10 months of this year, down 376 deaths (9.9 percent) from the same period last year. If this trend continues, traffic accident death will be decreased by 400 this year, marking the biggest reduction in 14 years since 10.8 percent (875 people) in 2012. Between 2010 and last year, the annual average reduction was 2.2 percent (176.8 people).

Drunk driving fatalities have fallen notably. In the first 10 months last year, 502 people died at drunk driving accidents, but this year the number was 322, a decrease of 180 people (35.9 percent). This is attributable to tightened drunk driving crackdowns while strengthening punishment of the drunk drivers and people who abetted the crimes. Pedestrian deaths also fell by 113 people (8 percent) from last year's 1,418, thanks to measures to prevent speed driving including reducing speed limits in 4,890 backside roads.

If sustained, traffic accident deaths are expected to fall to below 4,000 for the first time next year, three years since death toll topped 5,000 in 2014. The Dong-A Ilbo has presented five tasks to reduce traffic accident deaths by 400 people annually to 2,000 by 2020, which include tightening crackdown standards for drunk driving and downward revising speed limits on downtown streets.

Sung-Min Park min@donga.com