도로교통법상 긴급자동차의 특권에 관한 연구

Abstract

Recently it is strongly criticized that the current operational system of emergency vehicles are not proper enough to deal with a number of emergent accidents, and so it has not been able to rapidly and effectively rescue people in many dangerous situations. It is indicated that one of the main causes of the problem is inappropriate enforcement of road traffic regulations. Emergency vehicle operation management system needs improvement so that it can function as community security and public interests. The current s. 25 and s. 26 of the Road Traffic Act stipulate the priority passage rights of emergency vehicle and exceptions, but in order to improve the efficiency of the emergency operations it is required to include additional exceptions, such as removing the prohibition and limits of passage (s. 6), the passage of safety zones (s. 12[5]), permitting the passage of designated lanes and emergency vehicles which are wider than roads(including alteration of driving ways at no-alteration zones) (s.13[2-4]), permitting crossing, u-turn and reversing(s.16[1]), and excluding punishment for violating safe distance. As this privilege of emergency vehicles can be secured through giving ways by ordinary vehicles, only highly indispensable vehicles should be designated as emergency vehicles with strict inspections and examinations. Also it is important that an increasing number of quasi-emergency vehicles and the utilization of the vehicles beyond the limit of service use should be enforced rigorously.