Driving Differences: Samoa vs. South Korea

When navigating the roads of Samoa and South Korea, drivers encounter distinct regulations and practices that impact their travel experience. Key contrasts include the side of the road they drive on—left in Samoa and right in South Korea—as well as varied speed limits and traffic lane designs. Understanding these nuances is essential for ensuring a safe and enjoyable journey in either country.

samoasouth korea

LEFT

Driving Side

The driving side in samoa is the Left Side of the road

Driving Safety Score

The driving Driving Safety Score in samoa is 72

0 $

Gas Price in USD

The driving Driving Safety Score for samoa is 0 US Dollars

While the driving side of a country remains the same, the driving safety score is updated annually based on each countries car accident fatality rate. Lastly, the gas price is only an estimate. Due to frequent fluctuations, it serves as a general reference rather than an exact figure for each country.

Lanes

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	Samoa	South korea
Driving Side	Left	Right
Markings: Solid Yellow Line	Marks the centerline on two-way roads.	Marks the centerline on two-way roads; no crossing allowed.
Overtaking: On Left	No	Yes
Overtaking: On Right	Yes	Allowed on multi-lane roads
Lane Usage: Slow Vehicles	Use leftmost lane.	Use rightmost lane.
Bus Lanes: Presence	No	Yes
Bus Lanes: Usage	N/A	Reserved for buses during specified hours.
Bus Lanes: Markings	N/A	Often marked with blue lines, labeled 'BUS'.
Cycle Lanes: Presence	No	Yes
Cycle Lanes: Usage	N/A	Exclusive for bicycles.
Cycle Lanes: Markings	N/A	Bicycle symbols and sometimes colored pavement.
High- Occupancy Lanes: Presence	No	Yes
High- Occupancy Lanes: Requirements	N/A	Minimum two or more occupants
Variable Speed Limits: Indications	N/A	N/A

Driving Side

samoa:

Left

south korea:

Right

Markings: Solid Yellow Line

samoa:

Marks the centerline on two-way roads.

south korea:

Marks the centerline on two-way roads; no crossing allowed.

Overtaking: On Left

samoa:

south korea:

Yes

Overtaking: On Right

samoa:

Yes

south korea:

Allowed on multi-lane roads

Lane Usage: Slow Vehicles

samoa:

Use leftmost lane.

south korea:

Use rightmost lane.

Bus Lanes: Presence

samoa:

south korea:

Yes

Bus Lanes: Usage

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

Reserved for buses during specified hours.

Bus Lanes: Markings

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

Often marked with blue lines, labeled 'BUS'.

Cycle Lanes: Presence

samoa:

south korea:

Yes

Cycle Lanes: Usage

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

Exclusive for bicycles.

Cycle Lanes: Markings

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

Bicycle symbols and sometimes colored pavement.

High- Occupancy Lanes: Presence

samoa:

south korea:

Yes

High- Occupancy Lanes: Requirements

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

Minimum two or more occupants

Variable Speed Limits: Indications

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

N/A

Speeds Limits

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	Samoa	South korea
Urban Areas: Standard	25-40 km/h	60 km/h
Urban Areas: Residential Zones	20 km/h	30 km/h
Rural Areas: Cars And Motorcycles	55-80 km/h	80-100 km/h
Rural Areas: Buses And Vans	55-80 km/h	80-100 km/h
Rural Areas: Trucks And Trailers	55-80 km/h	60-80 km/h
Highways: Cars And Motorcycles	Not applicable	100-120 km/h
Highways: Buses And Vans	Not applicable	100-110 km/h
Highways: Trucks And Trailers	Not applicable	80-100 km/h
Variable Speed Limits: Indications	N/A	N/A

Urban Areas: Standard

samoa:

25-40 km/h

south korea:

60 km/h

Urban Areas: Residential Zones

samoa:

20 km/h

south korea:

30 km/h

Rural Areas: Cars And Motorcycles

samoa:

55-80 km/h

south korea:

80-100 km/h

Rural Areas: Buses And Vans

samoa:

55-80 km/h

south korea:

80-100 km/h

Rural Areas: Trucks And Trailers

samoa:

55-80 km/h

south korea:

60-80 km/h

Highways: Cars And Motorcycles

samoa:

Not applicable

south korea:

100-120 km/h

Highways: Buses And Vans

samoa:

Not applicable

south korea:

100-110 km/h

Highways: Trucks And Trailers

samoa:

Not applicable

south korea:

80-100 km/h

Variable Speed Limits: Indications

samoa:

N/A

south korea:

N/A

Signals

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	Samoa	South korea
Traffic Lights: Red And Amber Together	Not used in Samoa	Not used in South Korea
Traffic Signs: Language	English and Samoan; symbols are standard	Korean; symbols are standard
Traffic Signs: Warning	Diamond-shaped with yellow background	Diamond-shaped with yellow or orange background

Traffic Lights: Red And Amber Together

samoa:

Not used in Samoa

south korea:

Not used in South Korea

Traffic Signs: Language

samoa:

English and Samoan; symbols are standard

south korea:

Korean; symbols are standard

Traffic Signs: Warning

samoa:

Diamond-shaped with yellow background

south korea:

Diamond-shaped with yellow or orange background

Turns

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	Samoa		South korea
Right Turn On Red	Not allowed		Allowed unless prohibited by a sign
U- Turns Allowed	Allowed unless prohibited by a sign		Allowed unless prohibited by signs

Right Turn On Red

samoa:

Not allowed

south korea:

Allowed unless prohibited by a sign

U- Turns Allowed

samoa:

Allowed unless prohibited by a sign

south korea:

Allowed unless prohibited by signs

Documentation

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	Samoa	South korea
Driver's License: Foreign: E U/ E E A	Accepted for short visits; International Driving Permit recommended	Accepted with International Driving Permit
Driver's License: Foreign: Non- E U	Accepted for short visits; International Driving Permit recommended	Accepted with International Driving Permit
Vehicle Inspection: Requirement	Annual inspection required	Mandatory; proof must be displayed
Emergency Equipment: Warning Triangles	Not mandatory	Mandatory
Emergency Equipment: Reflective Vest	Not mandatory	Recommended but not mandatory

Driver's License: Foreign: E U/ E E A

samoa:

Accepted for short visits; International Driving Permit recommended

south korea:

Accepted with International Driving Permit

Driver's License: Foreign: Non- E U

samoa:

Accepted for short visits; International Driving Permit recommended

south korea:

Accepted with International Driving Permit

Vehicle Inspection: Requirement

samoa:

Annual inspection required

south korea:

Mandatory; proof must be displayed

Emergency Equipment: Warning Triangles

samoa:

Not mandatory

south korea:

Mandatory

Emergency Equipment: Reflective Vest

samoa:

Not mandatory

south korea:

Recommended but not mandatory

Road Etiquette

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	Samoa		South korea
Emergency Vehicles: Protocol	Pull over to the left and stop if necessary		Pull over to the right and stop if necessary

Emergency Vehicles: Protocol

samoa:

Pull over to the left and stop if necessary

south korea:

Pull over to the right and stop if necessary

Alcohol

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	Samoa	South korea
Limits: General Drivers	0.08%	0.05%
Limits: Professional Drivers	0.02%	0.03%
Limits: Underage Drivers	0.00% to 0.02%; zero tolerance	0.00%; zero tolerance
Enforcement: Random Checks	Common	Common; sobriety checkpoints frequently used
Test Refusal	Can result in license suspension	Can result in license suspension and fines

Limits: General Drivers

samoa:

0.08%

south korea:

0.05%

Limits: Professional Drivers

samoa:

0.02%

south korea:

0.03%

Limits: Underage Drivers

samoa:

0.00% to 0.02%; zero tolerance

south korea:

0.00%; zero tolerance

Enforcement: Random Checks

samoa:

Common

south korea:

Common; sobriety checkpoints frequently used

Test Refusal

samoa:

Can result in license suspension

south korea:

Can result in license suspension and fines

Roundabouts

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	Samoa		South korea
Signaling: Exiting	Signal left when preparing to exit		Signal right when preparing to exit

Signaling: Exiting

samoa:

Signal left when preparing to exit

south korea:

Signal right when preparing to exit

Emergency Services

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	Samoa	South korea
Contact: General Emergency	911	112
Contact: Traffic Police	685-22-222	Varies; often part of the general emergency network
Emergency Equipment: Warning Triangles	Not mandatory, but recommended	Mandatory
Emergency Equipment: Reflective Vest	Not mandatory, but recommended	Recommended but not mandatory

Contact: General Emergency

samoa:

911

south korea:

112

Contact: Traffic Police

samoa:

685-22-222

south korea:

Varies; often part of the general emergency network

Emergency Equipment: Warning Triangles

samoa:

Not mandatory, but recommended

south korea:

Mandatory

Emergency Equipment: Reflective Vest

samoa:

Not mandatory, but recommended

south korea:

Recommended but not mandatory

Penalties And Fines

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	Samoa	South korea
Common Fines: Speeding	Varies; ST$50 to ST$500, points on license	Varies; fines and license points given
Common Fines: Seat Belts	ST$100 to ST$200	Fines and license points given
Common Fines: Phone Use	ST$50 to ST$300	Fines and license points given
Common Fines: Traffic Light Violation	ST$100 to ST$500, points on license	Fines and license points given
Payment: On The Spot	Yes; fines usually paid online or by mail afterwards	Yes

Common Fines: Speeding

samoa:

Varies; ST$50 to ST$500, points on license

south korea:

Varies; fines and license points given

Common Fines: Seat Belts

samoa:

ST$100 to ST$200

south korea:

Fines and license points given

Common Fines: Phone Use

samoa:

ST$50 to ST$300

south korea:

Fines and license points given

Common Fines: Traffic Light Violation

samoa:

ST$100 to ST$500, points on license

south korea:

Fines and license points given

Payment: On The Spot

samoa:

Yes; fines usually paid online or by mail afterwards

south korea:

Yes