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Watching TV while driving has predictable consequences- Joongang Daily

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anichion:
Horrible yet sadly obvious story out of Gumi this week.
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2952309&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1


--- Quote ---Driver watching TV kills 3 cyclists, badly injures 4
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---GUMI, North Gyeongsang - An accident caused by a truck driver watching television on his dashboard has killed three young cyclists.

The Gumi Police Precinct in North Gyeongsang said that the Sangju City Hall Cycling Team that was training on the two-lane road of National Highway No. 25 in Euiseong County were struck by a 25-ton truck at 9:34 a.m. on Tuesday.

Three of the cyclists were killed and four other team members, including the team’s manager, were severely injured. The police said that the driver surnamed Baek, 66, hit the group while watching the Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) television that was installed in his dashboard navigation display.

The police said that the truck first hit the van that was following the cyclists and rammed it ahead about 100 meters (109 yards) into the bikers. “The driver has admitted that he was watching TV when he was driving,” a spokesman of the police said. The police have secured the testimony after interrogating the driver because the TV was on when police officers and the 119 rescue team were dispatched to the scene. The police filed a warrant to detain Baek yesterday.
--- End quote ---
More at the link.

Have you ever been in a vehicle in which the driver is watching a DMB or movie on the dashboard GPS? It can be a little disconcerting.

A similar event occurred in the States, when a basketball player (Minnesota, I think) was drunk, speeding, watching porn and you-know-what, and hit a tree. So, this problem is a universal problem.

Rusty Shackleford:
It really annoys me. What really annoys me is when taxi drivers have it on so loud that they have to ask you to repeat instructions.

wrinklebump:
the legislature took up the issue a while back if mem'ry serves, and got exactly nowhere. itll be legal until a 124721047 car pileup in seoul kills kate moss or something and causes an international incident.

confusedsafferinkorea:
Yep, it about sums up law enforcement here, oops what is that?

kirstygem:
It's a sad and not at all surprising event. I fear for my life every time I get into a taxi with the speed they drive whilst watching some drama or another. (Although I did also happen upon the best Korean TV show I've seen on such a taxi journey, which seemed to involve people competing to show how much stuff they could break with one body part - the best one I saw during my journey being the finger.) And I almost always ride my bike on the cycle paths. Not that that makes too much of a difference seeing as scooters and cars seem to drive on the pavements too.

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