Fire trucks drew 208,213 traffic fine notices in five years; 98.3% waived
In short
Fire department vehicles nationwide received 208,213 advance notices of traffic fines between 2021 and July this year, and 204,612 of them — 98.3 percent — were waived after emergency dispatches were confirmed, according to National Fire Agency data given to Rep. Hwang Hee. The annual count rose from 20,949 in 2021 to 47,241 last year, and reached 30,870 in the first seven months of this year. Hwang said fire stations should not have to document every dispatch and called for linking police and fire dispatch systems.
Why it matters
The numbers point to a paperwork routine rather than unpaid penalties: almost every fine is waived, but fire stations must file documents each time to prove a trip was an emergency. Rep. Hwang argues that this pulls field staff away from rescue and emergency medical work, and proposes linking police and fire dispatch systems. The documents record no response so far from the police or the fire agency, so any change to the procedure remains a proposal.
Key facts
- Fire department vehicles nationwide received 208,213 advance notices of traffic fines from 2021 through July this year, of which 204,612 (98.3 percent) were waived. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Annual waiver rates stayed between 98.1 and 98.5 percent. [ 1 ]
- Annual advance notices rose from 20,949 in 2021 to 47,241 last year, more than doubling, and stood at 30,870 in the first seven months of this year. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Speeding accounted for 115,842 notices (55.6 percent) and signal violations for 90,102 (43.3 percent). [ 1 , 3 ]
- Ambulances made up the largest share by vehicle type with 142,638 notices, or 68.5 percent. [ 1 ]
- Fire stations must submit a dispatch log, a copy of the driver's licence and a written statement to show a trip was an emergency, and a police review committee decides on the waiver. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Police fine-exemption review committees met 19,448 times over the same period, according to the National Police Agency. [ 1 ]
- Rep. Hwang Hee said the notification and explanation process is unnecessary, called for linking the fire and police dispatch systems, and said violations during non-emergency trips should be strictly penalised. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Fire department vehicles nationwide received 208,213 advance notices of traffic fines from 2021 through July this year, and 204,612 (98.3 percent) were waived. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Speeding accounted for 115,842 notices (55.6 percent) and signal violations for 90,102 (43.3 percent). [ 1 , 3 ]
- The data was submitted by the National Fire Agency to Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The number of annual advance notices more than doubled over four years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the police and fire authorities will link their dispatch systems to simplify the waiver process. The proposal appears only as Rep. Hwang's recommendation; the documents carry no reply from the National Police Agency or the National Fire Agency.
- Why the number of advance notices rose every year. The documents give the annual figures but no explanation from the authorities.
- The number of police review committee meetings (19,448) is attributed to the National Police Agency in a single document. Single-source figure cited only in one report.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap publishes the National Fire Agency data submitted to Rep. Hwang Hee, including annual, vehicle-type and violation breakdowns. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Shinmun reports that fire trucks responding to fires face speeding fines and must explain each case, noting the count doubled in four years. [ 2 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports more than 200,000 advance notices of fines over five years, with over 98 percent waived, and the administrative burden of proving each dispatch. [ 3 ]