According to the informant on the 2nd, at around 3:22 pm on the 1st, he reported to 112 and requested a crackdown on the number of four-wheel drive vehicles without safety helmets around Daereungwon and Cheomseongdae (located in Gyeongju).
However, the police officer dispatched to the scene only gave a warning to the driver of the four-wheel drive vehicle who was not wearing a safety helmet, as reported by the informant.
In response to an informant’s protest asking why fines were not imposed, he made a dereliction of duty remark by saying, “Due to the nature of the police in tourist areas, it is not easy to crack down on those who do not wear safety helmets.”
The police officer responded by saying that he was aware that drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles did not wear safety helmets, but he also had to consider the perspective of tourists.
At the time of dispatch, there was no confirmation at the scene for unlicensed or drunk driving. In addition, although there were many cases of illegal parking of four-wheel electric vehicles on sidewalks and driving without wearing safety helmets, the police left the scene without taking proper action.
In particular, the police officer dispatched to the scene made a statement in support of local businesses in Gyeongju, saying, “I came here to have fun, but since they continued to guide me, the company’s position is also the same.”
The perception of Gyeongju Police Station executives was not much different from the scene. He said, “At least a hard hat does not cost much and is the cheapest way to prevent serious injury,” but added, “I am concerned about the stiff fine. “For those who came all the way to Gyeongju, I can’t help but think about the fact that the trip itself may feel bad,” he said. This is a statement that violates fair law enforcement.
The informant examined the scene for about two hours this afternoon and found that out of 30 illegal acts, 28 were not wearing safety helmets and 2 were illegal parking and driving on the sidewalk. As of the end of May, the number of crackdowns on four-wheel electric vehicles at the Gyeongju Police Station remains at only 30 this year.
In particular, the Gyeongju Police Station announced to the media that starting from the 13th of last month, it will carry out intensive crackdowns on unlicensed driving of low-speed electric vehicles (four-wheel electric vehicles), failure to wear safety helmets, and other road traffic law violations.
However, in the field, the command’s policy appears not to have been properly communicated and is not being implemented.
Tourist A (57, Dalseo-gu, Daegu), who heard about the police’s inexperienced crackdown and law enforcement, said, “Hard hats are a matter of life and safety for tourists,” and added, “If an accident occurs while walking around without a safety hat, you will be at least seriously injured. “I don’t know why they are not cracking down on this properly, using the excuse of lack of manpower and dispatching mainly to 112 calls,” he criticized.
https://www.betanews.net/article/1467785