Traffic: Legalized speeding
Remember how I did a post some time ago on traffic cameras in Korea? If not, click 'here'.
Anyway, even with all the pre-warnings, people still do run the traffic cameras out of sheer carelessness.
This is a Korean GPS speed detector, which is hooked up to the car speaker system.
It is perfectly legal in here, and retails for anything between USD$200 ~ 600 for an upscale model with a wide-screen and fully functional GPS navigation system + mp3 player.
When you approach a speed, or normal surveilance camera, a female voice (I wonder why?) will usually say things like:
"Your speed is xx kmph, the speed limit xx meters ahead is xx kpmh, please slow down.."
That's not all... See the little port on the side of it? Hook up an adapter cable from that to your computer USB port, and you can download the latest speed camera locations online, from the manufacturer website! Location datas are updated every couple of weeks, as the police force move some cameras around, or install new ones.
Aren't they smart?!
As I have gathered too, apparently speeding is not enforced heavily using cop cars, albeit the occasional portable radars now and again. Haven't bumped into either one yet, after driving for 8 months, through 4 provinces... Sweet ;)
posted by Kurios1978 @ 8:19 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Well, I just happened to photograph one of the radar cops Tuesday on my trip out to Daebu Island. See photo in my post here. He was setup to cover the outbound lanes of the causeway on our way out to the island in the morning. When we returned in the afternoon, he had changed sides to the inbound lanes.
-The Stumbler
Here's a bit of info that might be useful if you ever do get a ticket...
A few months ago, we received a notice in the mail that one of our cars had been caught speeding (but this notice wasn't actually a bill - that was coming later). Thinking we were doing the right thing, we went down to the police station and paid the fine.
As it turns out, we should have waited for an actual bill to have been sent in the mail, as we would have paid less than bringing the original paper into the police station!
It was only a difference of about W10,000, but still...
Remember: wait for the actual bill in the mail.
Chris: Ha ha ha, saw that pic. Heard they're a bit strict these days up in Gyeonggi. There's been lotsa crackdowns on drink driving there too isn't it?
G: W10,000? That ain't bad!
OK, check this out... if you're late to pay, the banks won't accept payment. You'd have to wait for the updated bill from the police... Up to this date (2 months later), I have yet to receive an updated bill. Does that mean I don't have to pay at all now? ;)
Among my Korean friends, I have been surprised how strict they are about not drinking and driving. That said, yes there are frequent breath-test stops around this area. I met one man who told me he sometimes drives a Japanese car here in Seoul, with right-side drive. He told me usually at these drinking checkpoints, they just stick the machine into the left window, where his teenage son, will blow into the tube. They don't even notice that his son is only a passenger, not the driver!!!
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