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Recently, the number of accidents caused by drowsy driving on highways has increased significantly.



Too hot weather is analyzed to be the main cause of the accident, reporter Kim Jung-woo reports.



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A 15-ton truck driving on the highway crashes into the car ahead without slowing down.


Enlarging an image

A car traveling on the first lane collides with a vehicle that is doing road maintenance and is pushed to the shoulder.



Two people lost their lives in two accidents, which could have been avoided if they had looked ahead.



It is presumed to be drowsy driving, especially in summer.



[Park Min-cheol / Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do: Maybe drowsiness (driving) is a bit harsh in summer.

These days, they have built a lot of rest areas for sleepiness.

I use that part a lot, so I take a break from time to time.]



In the summer, I keep the air conditioner on, so I don't open my car windows often.



If the airtight condition persists, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the car rises, causing drowsiness.



[Jung Won-sik / Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: I can't open the window because it's hot.

My head hurts because I can't open the window, so I think I'm sleepy.]



The road construction analysis shows that the number of fatal accidents caused by drowsy driving has increased this year as the sweltering heat came earlier.



Thirteen people died from drowsiness or negligence while driving in the last 3 weeks.



It is more than three times higher than the average over the past three years.



There is also a statistic that the number of accidents increases by 15% on days when the discomfort index exceeds 80.



[Jisugu / Deputy Director of Transportation Department of Korea Expressway Corporation: It is important to prevent the increase of carbon dioxide in the vehicle through periodic external circulation mode switching or ventilation, and to take a break at a rest area or a rest area for drowsiness.]



Drowsy driving is caused by accidents or breakdowns. There are many cases where a car crashes into a stopped car and leads to a secondary accident. In this case, the fatality rate is nearly seven times higher than that of a general accident.



(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok, video editing: Lee Jung-taek)