Korean Driving

Driving in Korea is just sane enough that it is possible to be lulled into complacency. Once out of Seoul the freeways are pretty similar to home but with a bit more traffic. Sure, we get passed on the right by cars going twice as fast in the break-down-virtual-lane and Koreans are horrible at merging, but that's not so bad. Most Americans suck at merging too and I wish it was cool to pass on the shoulder at home sometimes. General rule of thumb for driving in Korea, 'Expect every other car around you to do something crazy.'

The things that quickly snap me out of any sort of dream that Korean roads are normal:

1) The pedestrian that died outside of school shortly after we arrived here.

2) The delivery guy laying in a pool of blood with oddly contorted leg that I tried to help.

3) The accident I saw two weeks ago that is possibly the worst accident I have ever seen in my life. Two cars collided on the freeway and exploded. Both were nearly unrecognizable as cars and there was a steaming crater melted into the asphalt. I am certain that no person survived.

4) The hundred or so other accidents I have seen since my arrival.

5) The number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents annually in Korea is 28 per 100,000 people. This compares to 11 per 100,000 in the states. Notoriously dangerous driving countries like Thailand and Colombia are in the low 20's. I could not find a statistically more dangerous country than Korea.

6) Two of our teachers are hospitalized for two weeks because they were in a bus accident over the weekend.