June fatalities outpace monthly average over past 3 years

Deaths on expressways jump 69% in first 5 months of this year

A case of an expressway accident caused by inattentive driving on a wet road. [Korea Expressway Corporation]
A case of an expressway accident caused by inattentive driving on a wet road. [Korea Expressway Corporation]

As the rainy season approaches, drivers are being urged to exercise extra caution on expressways, where the risk of wet-road skidding accidents rises sharply in June. While the overall number of highway accidents has remained similar to previous years, fatalities have climbed significantly, pointing to a clear trend toward more severe crashes.

According to Korea Expressway Corporation, highway traffic deaths in June averaged 13.6 per year over the past three years (2023–2025) — above the overall monthly average of 11.8.

June marks a period of rapidly rising rainfall and rainy days. Data from the past three years show that wet-road skidding accidents in June alone averaged 32 incidents, a figure that has been rising steadily. The Korea Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Interior and Safety project that total precipitation this summer (June–August) will be near the historical average of 727.3 millimeters, but warn that heavy downpours will occur more frequently and vary significantly by region, making wet-road conditions more dangerous than usual.

Wet roads extend braking distances by up to 1.8 times for passenger vehicles and 1.6 times for trucks compared with dry pavement. Korea Expressway Corporation urged drivers to slow down and maintain adequate following distances, and recommended checking tires — including tread wear and air pressure — as well as wipers and headlights before the rainy season begins in earnest.

The deadliness of expressway accidents has worsened so far this year. From January through May, the number of highway accidents rose just 0.5 percent compared with the same period last year, but fatalities jumped 69.4 percent.

In January, a series of multi-vehicle pile-ups on the West Coast Expressway, the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway and the Seoul Metropolitan Beltway caused mass casualties. Drowsiness and inattentive driving were cited as the leading cause, responsible for 57 deaths — a 90 percent increase from 30 in the same period last year. Analysts attributed the surge to heavier use of vehicle heaters during the extreme cold snap, which, combined with poor ventilation, caused carbon dioxide levels inside cabins to spike and impaired drivers' alertness and concentration.

A rising fatality rate among elderly drivers also contributed to the increase. Accidents involving drivers aged 60 and older grew from 115 to 133 cases this year, while deaths in that group jumped 89 percent — from 19 to 36 — far outpacing the overall fatality increase of 78 percent.

"The number of expressway accidents itself is similar to last year, but the sharp rise in fatalities shows that crashes are becoming more severe," a Korea Expressway Corporation official said. "June in particular is when wet-road skidding accidents are most concentrated, so we ask drivers to strictly reduce their speed and keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead."


hwshin@heraldcorp.com