The number of traffic deaths in South Korea dropped to a record low of around 2,500 last year, nearly half from a decade ago, data showed Thursday.
A total of 2,551 people died from road accidents in 2023, a 6.7 percent decline from the 2,735 deaths recorded the previous year, according to the National Police Agency.
It marks an 81 percent drop compared with 1991, when the death toll hit the highest at 13,429, and nearly half the rate from a decade ago, when fatalities from vehicle crashes stood at 5,092 in 2013.
However, the total number of accidents and injuries saw a slight increase year-on-year, recording 198,296 cases and 283,799 injuries, respectively, with both showing a hike of 0.7 percent.
The increase in fatalities was prominent late at night between midnight to 2 a.m. and during morning rush hour from 8 to 10 a.m. with the death toll increasing by 10 percent and by 4.8 percent, respectively.
By type of accident, fatalities involving two-wheeled vehicles, bicycles and personal mobility vehicles
all showed a downturn trend, recording 19 percent, 29.7 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.
Deaths of young children dropped by 22.2 percent, and deaths caused by driving under the influence also dropped 25.7 percent, the data showed.
Source: Yonhap News Agency