Driving license suspension/cancellation consultations often reveal situations where minor violations accumulate and become a problem, rather than a single major accident. In that sense, this amendment is something every driver should be aware of.
## 1. Three Violations Previously Only Subject to Fines Now Carry 10 Points
The Road Traffic Law Enforcement Regulations Amendment, promoted by the National Police Agency, will newly assign 10 points to the following three violations. These are currently violations that only require paying a fine.
- Failure to Use Turn Signals — Failing to signal when changing direction or lanes
- Failure to Wear Seatbelts
- Failure to Wear a Helmet — For motorcycles, etc.
Promotion Stage — July 20th, National Police Committee review and approval → August 3rd~September 14th Public Notice(National Police Agency Traffic Planning Division) → Regulatory Review, Legal Affairs Committee review → Promulgation and Enforcement. The effective date has not yet been determined.
The same amendment also includes a provision to change the standard for traffic accident fatalities from 'within 72 hours of the accident' to 'within 30 days'(to align with OECD standards) and to revise the standard for serious injury points. This means that even if someone dies a few days after the accident, it will be considered a fatal accident, which could change the severity of administrative penalties related to accidents. ⚠️ Please refer to the official text upon promulgation for details on point penalties.
## 2. Why 10 Points is Not a Small Number
If your points reach 40, you become eligible for a license suspension, and if you accumulate 121 points or more within a year, your license will be revoked. Four violations each carrying 10 points would reach the suspension threshold, so those who drive frequently for commuting or delivery will be particularly affected.
Things to Prepare - Check your current points on the National Police Agency Traffic Civil Service 24 (eFine) - If you receive a suspension/cancellation penalty, you can challenge it through an objection (within 60 days from the date of the penalty) or an administrative review (within 90 days), so be sure to keep track of the deadlines.
⚠️ Current fine amounts (for passenger vehicles, turn signals and seatbelts are 30,000 won each, motorcycle helmets are 20,000 won, etc.) vary depending on the vehicle type and target, and the amounts after the amendment need to be checked in the official text.
## 3. Intensive Crackdown from October 1st to December 31st
The police have designated August 1st to September 30th as a grace period and October 1st to December 31st as an intensive crackdown period. They are also developing and considering pilot operation of unmanned enforcement equipment that captures whether passengers in the front seat are wearing seatbelts.
⚠️ Point penalties will be applied after the amended enforcement regulations are promulgated and put into effect. Until then, enforcement will follow the current fine standard, so please check the announcement upon promulgation for the application date.
## To Summarize
- Failure to wear seatbelts, failure to use turn signals, failure to wear helmets → New establishment of 10 points penalty(Public Notice ends September 14th, effective date yet to be determined)
- Adjustment of traffic accident fatality standard from 72 hours to 30 days
- Police intensive crackdown from October 1st to December 31st
- 40 points = license suspension, 121 points within a year = license revocation — check your points in advance
When minor violations start to carry points, those who already have points may reach the suspension threshold sooner than expected. If you receive a penalty notice, be sure to check the deadlines.
*This article is an administrative trend guide compiled by Hwang Yun-sang Administrative Agent’s Office based on publicly available information. The applicability to individual cases requires verification with the relevant authority.*