DANGERS OF SECONDARY ACCIDENTS AT HIGHWAYS

[Anchor Lead]

Accidents on highways can be more fatal as vehicles travel at a much higher speed. It is also important how you respond after an accident. It has been found that secondary accidents, which occur when people remain in the car or stand on the road side, show a nearly seven times higher fatality rate than that of other highway accidents.

[Pkg]

This 10-vehicle collision that occurred on Iksan-Jangsu expressway in Jeollabuk-do Province left two people dead and six others injured. One of the deceased individuals was standing on the road side after the first accident when he was killed by another vehicle. In January, a car that had stopped on the expressway after an accident was hit from behind, killing the driver who was inside the stationary vehicle. Over the past five years 276 secondary accidents occurred on expressways claiming 165 lives. The fatality rate of secondary accidents stands at 60%. That's nearly seven times higher than that of other expressway accidents. Drivers and passengers are advised to never stay inside the car or stand on the road side when involved in an accident on expressways, where vehicles travel at 100 kilometers per hour.

[Soundbite] Jeong Sang-yeol(Safety Division, Jeonbuk HQs, Korea Expressway Corporation) : "Drivers and passengers should not remain in the vehicle or stand on the road side. They should go to the other side of the guard rails or to a safe place and then report the accident or take necessary safety measures."

If an accident occurrs on a bridge or in a tunnel where it's difficult to leave the expressway, people should go to a safety zone provided nearby. The Korea Expressway Corporation says secondary accidents can take place when individuals are placing emergency signs on the road. The KEC is in talks with police on not requiring drivers to set up such signs.