Speed limit for motor vehicles, etc.
Speed limit for motor vehicles, etc.
- The speed of motor vehicles, etc. travelling on public roads and highways shall be determined by the Road Traffic Act. When it is deemed necessary to prevent danger and ensure the safe and smooth flow of traffic on the road, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency or the Commissioner of a Local Police Agency may designate zones or sections of road on which the speed shall be restricted according to the following classification (Article 17(1) and (2) of the Road Traffic Act).
· The Commissioner General of the National Police Agency: Expressways
· The Commissioner of a Local Police Agency: Roads other than expressways
Speed limit for each type of road
- All drivers shall obey the following speed limits (Article 17(1) of the Road Traffic Act, Article 19(1) of the Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act).
|
Road
|
Speed (km/h)
|
|
Max
|
Min
|
|
Expressways
|
Two lanes
|
80
|
50
|
|
Four or more lanes
|
100 (80 for truck, etc.)
|
50
|
|
Zones or sections designated and notified by the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency
|
120 (90 for trucks, etc.)
|
50
|
|
Motorways
|
90
|
30
|
|
General roads
|
General roads in residential, commercial and industrial areas
|
50 (However, 60 for routes or sections designated by the Commissioner of the Regional Police Agency as specially necessary for smooth traffic)
|
|
General roads in other than residential, commercial and industrial areas
|
60 (However, 80 for roads with two or more lanes one way)
|
|
※ Note : “Trucks, etc.” includes freight vehicles(whose dead weight is over 1.5 tons), special motor vehicles, dangerous goods vehicles (which carry dangerous goods in accordance with Note 6 of Attached Table 9 in the Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act), and construction machinery.
|
- Drivers shall always drive their motor vehicle, etc. at a speed higher than the minimum limit and lower than the maximum limit, except in inevitable situations such as traffic jams (Article 17(3) of the Road Traffic Act).
※ Speed limit in protection zones for children, senior citizens or the physically challenged
- In a child protection zone(or school zone) the speed of motor vehicles may be restricted to below 30km/h in order to protect children from the danger of traffic accident; whereas in senior citizen or physically challenged protection zones, the passage of motor vehicles or horses may be limited or prohibited altogether (Article 12(1), 12-2(1) of the Road Traffic Act).
· A certain section ofthe neighboring roads of one of the following facilities or locations shall be designated as a school zone(Article 12(1) of the Road Traffic Act and Article 14 of the EnforcementRegulation of the Road Traffic Act).
√ Kindergartens according to Article 2 of the Early Childhood Education Act, elementary or special schools according to Articles 38 and 55 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
√ Daycare centers whose capacity is not less than 100 persons and which comply with Article 10 of the Infant Care Act; provided that, in cases where the mayors of metropolitan cities, the governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, or other mayors and county governors(except governors of a metropolitan city, hereafter ‘mayors, etc.’) recognize the necessity of protecting children from the danger of traffic accidents in consideration of the traffic conditions of the region in which a daycare center is located, the neighboring roads of the daycare center can be designated as a school zone under the coordination of the commissioner of the local police agency, even though the capacity of the center is below 100.]
√ Among private institutes according to Article 2 of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, school subject teaching institutes in the Attached Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, of which the number of registered students is not less than 100; provided that, in cases where mayors, etc. recognize the necessity of protecting children from the danger of traffic accident in consideration of the traffic conditions of the region in which a daycare center is located, the neighboring roads of the institute can be designated as a school zone under the coordination of the commissioner of local police agency, even though the capacity of the institute is below 100.]
√ International schools or alternative schools according to Article 60-2 or 60-3 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, international schools according to Article 223 of the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Free International City, and foreign educational institutes having a kindergarten or elementary school according to Article 2(2) of the Special Act on Establishment and Management of Foreign Educational Institutes in Free Economic Zones and Jeju International Free City.
√ Otherfacilities or locations frequented by children, as prescribed by Ordinance.
- The drivers of motor vehicles, etc. shall reduce their speed by a prescribed rate depending on the climate or road conditions (Article 19(2) of the Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act).
※ In bad weather conditions including heavy rainfall, fog, snow, etc., it takes more time than usual to break and bring a vehicle to a stop because of the deteriorated field of vision and/or irregular road conditions.
· In conditions where it is necessary to drive at 20/100 (20%) of the usual maximum speed limit.
√ In cases where a road is wet due to heavy rainfall.
√ In cases where snowfall is below 20mm.
· In conditions where it is necessary to drive at 50/100 (50%) of the usual maximum speed limit.
√ In conditions where visibility is less than 100m because of heavy rainfall, heavy snow or fog.
√ On icy roads.
√ In cases where snowfall is above 20mm.
- If the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency or the Commissioner of a Local Police Agency designates a maximum speed limit by means of a ‘variable speed limit’ sign, drivers shall comply with this speed limit. In cases where there is a difference between the maximum speed limit determined by a ‘variable speed limit’ sign and one determined by other types of safety sign, the former shall have priority (Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act, Article 19(2) and Attached Table 6 I, no.1).
- In cases where a motor vehicle other than a tow truck tows away another motor vehicle along a road (excluding expressways), its driver shall comply with the following speed requirements (Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act, Article 20).
· In cases where a motor vehicle whose total weight is below 2,000kg is towed away by another motor vehicle whose total weight is three or more times that of the former: 30km/h and below.
· In cases where a two-wheeled vehicle tows away, in addition to the above condition: 25km/h and below.
Penal provision
- Penal provision (Road Traffic Act, Article 156(1), Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Attached Table 6, no.4, Attached Table 8 nos.1, 2, 6, 46, and Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act, Attached Table 28, nos.3, A. 3, 9, 15).
|
Extent of excess speed
|
Penalty (KRW)
|
Penalty points
|
|
Over 60km/h
|
Vans: 130,000 (140,000) Cars: 120,000 (130,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 80,000 (90,000)
|
60
|
|
Over 40km/h and not more than 60km/h
|
Vans: 100,000 (110,000) Cars: 90,000 (100,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 60,000 (70,000)
|
30
|
|
Over 20km/h and not more than 40km/h
|
Vans: 70,000 (80,000) Cars: 60,000 (70,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 40,000 (50,000)
|
15
|
|
Not more than 20km/h
|
Vans: 30,000 (40,000) Cars: 30,000 (40,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 20,000 (30,000)
|
-
|
※ Theimposition of an additional fine shall apply to violations of the speed limitin school zones and protection zones for the aged or the physically challengedfrom 8am to 8pm (proviso to Article 88(4) of the EnforcementDecree of the Road Traffic Act and subparagraph 2 of Attached Table 7 andsubparagraph 3 of Attached Table 10 of the Enforcement Decree of theRoad Traffic Act).
|
 Extent of excess speed
|
Penalty in school zones(KRW)
|
|
Over 60km/h
|
Vans: 160,000(170,000) Cars: 150,000(160,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 100,000(110,000)
|
|
Over 40km/h and not more than 60km/h
|
Vans: 130,000(140,000) Cars: 120,000(130,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 80,000(90,000)
|
|
Over 20km/h and not more than 40km/h
|
Vans: 100,000(110,000) Cars: 90,000(100,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 60,000(70,000)
|
|
Not more than 20km/h
|
Vans: 60,000(70,000) Cars: 60,000(70,000) Two-wheeled vehicles: 40,000(50,000)
|
Maintaining a safe distance
Duty to maintain a safe distance
- When a motor vehicle is traveling behind another motor vehicle traveling in the same direction, the driver of the following motor vehicle shall maintain a safe distance in order to avoid a collision with the motor vehicle traveling ahead of it in the event that the latter stops suddenly (Road Traffic Act, Article 19(1)).
Precautions concerning safe distance
- When any driver of a motor vehicle, etc. passes by a bicycle travelling in the same direction, he/she shall maintain the necessary distance to avoid a collision with such bicycle (Road Traffic Act, Article 19(2)).
- The drivers of motor vehicles shall not change course abruptly when it is likely to impede the flow of other motor vehicles running in the direction in which he/she intends to change his/her route (Road Traffic Act, Article 19(3)).
- The drivers of motor vehicles shall not apply their brakes in order to abruptly stop their motor vehicle or reduce the speed thereof except in cases where such an action is intended to prevent danger or on the grounds of inevitability (Road Traffic Act, Article 19(4)).
Penal provision
- Punishments for failure to maintain a safe distance or violation of the provision on changing one’s course abruptly (Road Traffic Act, Article 156(1), Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Attached Table 8, nos.22, 46, 47, 60 and Enforcement Regulation of the Road Traffic Act, Attached Table 28, no.3, A. 23).
|
Violation
|
Penalty(KRW)
|
Penalty points
|
|
Failure to maintain safe distance
|
General roads
|
(Passenger) Cars/freight vehicles of not more than 4 tons: 20,000 Two-wheeled vehicles/ motorbikes: 10,000
|
10
|
|
Expressways/ Bus exclusive lanes
|
Vans: 50,000 Cars: 40,000 Two-wheeled vehicles: 30,000 Bicycles: 20,000
|
|
Violation of provision on changing one’s course abruptly
|
Vans: 30,000 Cars: 30,000 Two-wheeled vehicles: 20,000 Bicycles: 10,000
|