CRACKDOWNS ON RIGHT-TURN VIOLATIONS

[Anchor Lead]

Traffic regulations have toughened to protect pedestrians at the crosswalks. A vehicle must come to a stop not only when a person is crossing the street, but also when an individual is about to. Drivers especially must pay more attention when making a right turn. The police are cracking down on violators as the three-month grace period is now over.

[Pkg]

At this intersection in Seoul a sedan appears to be slowing down to a stop but soon drives off before pedestrians have completely crossed the street. A motorcycle drives by dangerously close to an elderly man with a cane walking across the road. These are all violations of the 'stop before a crosswalk' rule. According to the Road Traffic Act revised in July, the police gave a three-month grace period. Police officers started cracking down on the violators of this new rule yesterday, but the drivers who were caught still claimed that they had no idea.

[Soundbite] "(Didn’t you know that you must come to a full stop whenever a pedestrian is crossing or about to cross the street?) No, I didn’t."

Violators were slapped with 60,000 won in fine and 10 penalty points.

[Soundbite] (Violator (VOICE MODIFIED)) : "I thought there was an event. Other cars were not moving so I waited before driving off. But I was stopped. Nothing I can do about it."

When making a right turn, a driver must come to a full stop when the pedestrian crossing light is green. The driver can turn right only when the pedestrian has completely crossed the road or no one is about to cross it. However, it is unclear what kind of situation the term "about to cross" exactly stipulates. Overall, however, the public is welcoming of the new rule.

[Soundbite] Seo Jong-oh(Seoul Resident) : "It’s a bit of a hassle, but the rule must be followed because human life comes first."

But there is also concern that Korea's speedy driving culture could lead to troubling situations.

[Soundbite] "When I’m waiting to make a right turn, drivers behind me honk because I’m not moving. This could lead to a fight or road rage."

The police claim that the revised law is very effective because during the past three months of the grace period, the number of accidents specifically when making right turns fell 24% from the same period last year, and the number of related deaths by 45%.