Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PatrickGHBusan]

[tremendous]

Yes, people should be able to do what they want if it only affects them, but these kids jumping around in their cars affect everyone on the road. It's not just that they don't have their seatbelt on. It's the fact that they are all standing on the seat, or their head is out the window, or they are hanging off their father's shoulder as he's trying to drive. So it's a dangerous situation for everybody. Koreans have enough distractions as it is.

[Real Reality]

Car Seat Requirement in Korea Is Short-lived
by Kim Soe-jung, JoongAng Daily (August 07, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2795135

[Tundra_Creature]

[GoldMember]

Seat belts are only needed in the front of the car and not the back. This is because the laws of physics in Korea only apply to those sitting in the front seats. You must understand Korea is special case, laws of physics are different in Korea.

[The evil penguin]

[blaseblasphemener]

Canadians are much, much safer drivers than Koreans will ever be. I'd say a Korean kid in a car wearing a seatbelt is in more danger than a Canadian kid not wearing one.

[Cheonmunka]

Three times so far I've had the opportunity to point out to my wife the sense of belts, passing scenes of accidents. They were bumpers smashes really, the front ends were damaged but the rest of the car was fine. However, I said, "Those guys would be fine, but look closely at the windscreen." Sure enough, the windscreens on all three smashes had been punched out - from the inside. "That's their heads," I explained.

But, on that note, seat belts, unless they are really adequately harnessing the shoulders will do f-all in the case of a speedy crash. The rear belts, they just don't work that well. If they do actually hold you somewhat in place your head and body will still be mangled against the squashing steel.

I would wish we were all strapped in Nascars, then I would feel safe.
Oh, but I did feel very safe back in NZ, as I had a Swedish brick and those cars are really solid.

[Steelrails]

Personally, I feel naked driving in a car without a seatbelt, even in the back seat. Child seatbelt laws should be mandatory and helmets for passengers on bikes.

BUT that's only for children. Adults should be allowed to crash and drive if they want.

[big_fella1]

I often get into trouble from the wife when I call out to other motorists "Don't you love your children?" It's a shame I don't speak Korean.

Yes we used to do many stupid things in Western countries on the road in the past, I mean in Australia driving distances in the country used to be measured in the number of beers you drank on the trip. Cairns to Mt Isa was a carton/slab trip. We changed.

Korea keeps using the excuse we are a newly developed country, and thus allow over 10,000 Koreans to die on the roads every year.

If Koreans would use their incredible passion less for protesting N1H1 and MCD and channel it towards the road toll, I believe they could halve it in 1 year.

[Steelrails]

Yeah, I mean if anything is going to change things here its us foreigners talking to the natives in a condescending manner.

I'm worried to even ride a bike here.

Traffic here is terrible and it was terrible back home. Drunk Drivers, High Speed Car Chases, Street Racing- basically young male fueled nonsense.

Sorry if there is one indicator of stupidity when it comes to the road it isn't nationality, it is age followed closely by gender.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Captain Corea]

[camp0400]

thanks for the input everyone! i knew someone would show up with some stats to support my claims that these weren't isolated incidents i was witnessing. i'm not neccessarily saying that seat belt use for children should be made a law, but rather the public at large could do some good with some simple public service announcements. what harm could that do?

also, i don't belive that just because a society is "new" to a certain technological advancement such as cars that they are entitled to a grace period to use them in whatever manner they choose or that using a seatbelt is a "western" idea and we shouldn't be pushing our imperial agenda on them. it's simple: a small child standing up in the front/back seat of a moving vehicle will sustain severe injuries or death in the event of an accident at even moderate speeds.

nationalism has absolutely no place in this discussion. i hate it when they bring it up in stuff like this:
"We don't have to do what foreigners do in their countries. We have our own way to take care of babies," another posting at the agency's Web site said....

[Cheonmunka]

I think that parents get their children to stand up on the seats so that other motorists can see them and so be careful when driving near the vehicle they are in.