Starting in June, installing a video recording device (black box) on car pedals will allow drivers to receive discounts on automobile insurance premiums. This is a measure aimed at expanding the installation of pedal black boxes as traffic accidents involving elderly drivers claiming sudden acceleration are increasing.
According to the insurance industry on the 12th, the government decided to revise the 'Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act Enforcement Decree' with this content. The revision includes provisions to include 'devices that record pedal operation situations in real time' as a target for automobile insurance premium discounts.
Once the revision comes into effect, the government will be able to recommend that property and casualty insurance companies provide discounts on premiums to policyholders who have installed pedal black boxes. Currently, property and casualty insurance companies offer approximately a 10% discount on premiums if vehicles are equipped with two types of lane departure warning devices, automatic emergency braking systems, and two types of forward collision prevention devices.
In response to the increase in traffic accidents involving sudden acceleration by elderly drivers, the government has added pedal black boxes to the list of devices eligible for premium discounts. Insurance companies plan to determine future discount rates once the revision is implemented in June.
According to an analysis by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance's Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, from 2019 to June last year, there were 11,042 cases of pedal misoperation among its automobile insurance policyholders. This translates to approximately 2,008 cases annually and 167 cases monthly. Considering policyholders from other insurance companies, the actual number of pedal misoperation incidents is estimated to be even higher.
Drivers involved in such accidents typically assert claims of sudden acceleration without realizing they have confused the pedals. Among the pedal misoperation incidents involving Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance customers, 39.1% were individuals aged 60 and over. Those aged 65 and above accounted for 25.7% of the total.
The government expects that this measure will contribute to the revitalization of pedal black box installations and the clarification of the causes of sudden acceleration accidents.