Korea to offer bicycle insurance (I think)

The English translation of an editorial in a South Korean news site is a little awkward, but it seems to say that bicycle insurance will be introduced nationwide in South Korea later this year.

I'm a little bit surprised to learn that only three percent of South Koreans ride a bicycle for transportation, though apparently that number is growing as it is in many other nations.

High oil prices are motivating people around the globe to resort to bikes. Jumping on the bandwagon, luxury brand makers such as Chanel and Gucci are churning out high-tech bikes. It is not difficult to find people riding mini velo bicycles in downtown Seoul. Earning the honor of fashion leader is tough unless a person shows up riding a bike in stylish bike wear.

Fewer people in Korea ride bikes than those in advanced countries. Only 16.6 percent of Koreans ride them, compared with 100 percent in the Netherlands and 56.9 percent in Japan. Worse, only three percent of Koreans use a bicycle for transportation, as opposed to 25 percent of Germans and Japanese. In other words, Koreans ride bikes for recreational purposes on the weekends rather than for commuting.

Last year alone, 69 people in Korea died in 1,374 bicycle accidents. The Chinese character for bike indicates a vehicle, while most Koreans read it as a self-propelled riding device. Law books deem it as a vehicle too, subjecting it to many regulations governing vehicles. If a bike gets into an accident with a car on the road, it is most likely to be covered by insurance. When a bicycle hits a pedestrian on the sidewalk, however, the rider is personally held liable. Thus, the rider has to settle the case with his or her money to avoid criminal prosecution. That is why the provincial city of Changwon and bike advocacy groups have urged the introduction of bike insurance.

Read more at DongA.com.

A big welcome to visitors from TreeHugger. TreeHugger reports that Washington DC's bike sharing program finally opened today after delays, adding to the bike sharing kiosks already in place in places like Louisville, KY and Tulsa, OK.