As holiday season nears, police look to curb drunk driving

Mondays, Fridays biggest days for arrests of drinkers behind the wheel

The police are asking for the public's care and cooperation as the country enters the season when a greater number of people drive while intoxicated.

According to the National Police Agency announcement issued December 11, most people stopped for driving while intoxicated are caught on Mondays, the day of the week when places of work often have after-hours get-togethers, and on Fridays, ahead of the weekend for many workers.

A recent police study indicates that 20.3 percent, or 1,464, of the 7,195 persons detained in the year-end crackdown that began December 1 have been caught driving drunk on Mondays. Friday arrests accounted for 1,194, or 16.6 percent. Between 1,095 to 1,165 drivers were pulled over on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, followed by Saturdays (590) and Sundays (539).

Of those detained for driving under the influence since the start of the special "enforcement period," 3,489 had their licenses suspended for having blood alcohol levels between 0.05 and 0.09 percent and 3,585 had their licenses cancelled for having a level of 0.1 percent or higher. One hundred twenty-one drivers refused to take a breathalyzer test.

"If you refuse to be tested, there is a higher likelihood you are going to be arrested, and judges tend to issue higher fines," said police traffic safety official Park Jong-uk. "If you abandon your car and try to escape on foot, we're going to find you anyway through your car's information, and we will figure out how much you had been drinking."

"It's best to just not drive after drinking," said Park.

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