Over 50 drowsy driving accidents daily; November sees highest number

[Anchor]

It is estimated that there are more than 50 drowsy driving accidents occurring every day, which have a high fatality rate.

In particular, with the increase in outdoor activities and the start of using heaters, November has been recorded as the month with the highest number of drowsy driving accidents.

Reporter Hwang Hyun-kyu has the details.

[Report]

A vehicle sways and immediately collides with the guardrail.

It continues to drive without stopping and crashes into the opposite guardrail.

This vehicle failed to see a car parked on the shoulder and caused an accident.

All of these accidents were caused by drowsy driving.

In the past five years, more than 30,000 drowsy driving accidents have been reported to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

This averages about 17 cases per day.

Considering Samsung Fire's market share, it is estimated that more than 50 accidents occur daily in total.

Notably, November, when outdoor activities are frequent and heating systems are used, has the highest number of drowsy driving accidents, followed by June and October.

[Choi Kwan/Senior Researcher, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance : "When heating systems are used, as mentioned, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the vehicle increases. This leads to fatigue and drowsiness."]

Drowsy driving often results in accidents without the driver being able to see ahead, making its fatality rate about twice as high as that of drunk driving.

For this reason, Europe has mandated the installation of Driver Monitoring System (DMS) in commercial vehicles starting this year.

This device emits a warning sound if the driver closes their eyes for more than three seconds.

However, it is not yet mandatory in South Korea, and it is only offered as an option in some vehicle models.

[Lee Ho-geun/Professor, Department of Future Automotive, Daedeok University: "The number of vehicles equipped with drowsy driving prevention devices is low in the country, and ultimately, making it mandatory is the most important thing."]

There are also calls for active support, such as discounts on insurance premiums for vehicles equipped with this device.

This is Hwang Hyun-kyu from KBS News.