Gov't to require additional safety features for vehicles

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- The government plans to require carmakers to install additional safety features on all vehicles to help prevent traffic accidents, officials said Thursday.
Under a revision to the law on vehicle safety, all new passenger cars, along with any commercial vehicle weighing less than 3.5 tons, will have to have an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and brake assist system (BAS) from May, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
Currently, only commercial vehicles that weigh more than 3.5 tons are required to have anti-lock brakes. The amendment will soon be submitted to parliament for approval.
"The revision aims to cut traffic accidents and boost safety of vehicles as the country will soon have more than 20 million cars," the ministry said. "It will also help improve the quality and competitiveness of the country's automobile industry."
The ministry earlier said there were 18.26 million cars registered in South Korea as the end of June.
The revision will also require automakers to put speed limiters, which cap the top speed of vehicles, in all new passenger vans and commercial vehicles that weigh over 3.5 tons from May. Speed limiters are currently required only in commercial vehicles that weigh over 8 tons, according to the ministry.