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By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea saw its highest decline rate in traffic accident casualties in 2020, due mainly to decreased traffic volume amid social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad), Friday.

The authorities found that 309,275 people were injured or killed in traffic accidents in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 10.4 percent fall from 2019 when the nation reported 345,061 casualties.

This was the biggest decrease rate since the government began to compile relevant data in 1970, KoRoad said.

The researchers attributed the steep fall to the decreased number of vehicles on roads and highways, an apparent result of social distancing measures.

The number of road accidents in 2020 stood at 209,654, an 8.7 percent fall from 2019.

"The surge in the number of COVID-19 cases was linked to a noticeable decline in people's movements as well as the decrease in the number of casualties in traffic accidents," a KoRoad official said in a press release.

However, the authorities noted that the traffic volume and the number of road accidents saw a gradual return to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2021. They predicted the upward trend will continue throughout this year as almost all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.