[Opinion] Safe Driving in School Zones under Minsik Act Ensures Safety and Happiness for Children and Everyone

No Jaeho, Chief of Suncheon Police Station

On December 10th last year, the National Assembly held a plenary session and passed a total of three child traffic safety laws, including the so-called ‘Minsik Law’ and ‘Hajun Law’.

The ‘Minsik Law’ was proposed following the death of Kim Minsik in a traffic accident in a school zone in Asan, Chungnam, in September last year. It includes amendments to the Road Traffic Act mandating the installation of traffic lights, speed bumps, speed limits, safety signs, and speed enforcement cameras within school zones. Additionally, amendments to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes were passed, imposing life imprisonment or imprisonment of three years or more if a child under 13 dies due to careless driving in a school zone, and imprisonment from one to fifteen years or fines ranging from 5 million to 30 million won if the victim is injured. These laws came into effect on March 25th this year.

The ‘Hajun Law’ was proposed after the death of Choi Hajun in October 2017, who was killed by a vehicle rolling down a sloped parking lot at the main gate of Seoul Land. The law mandates the installation of wheel stoppers or similar anti-slip devices in parking lots on slopes and requires the placement of warning signs about slipping hazards. This amendment to the Parking Lot Act is scheduled to be enforced from June 25th this year.

Although there has been considerable debate regarding the fairness of punishments, the passage of the ‘Minsik Law’ and others has raised nationwide awareness about preventing child traffic accidents. In particular, it has fostered a shared understanding that all drivers must exercise special caution to prevent child traffic accidents within school zones during children’s commuting hours.

A school zone is a child protection area established around kindergartens or elementary schools to secure a safe commuting space for children and prevent traffic accidents. It refers to the commuting routes within 300 meters of the school’s main gate. According to statistics from the National Police Agency, from 2015 to 2019, a total of 2,509 traffic accidents occurred within school zones over the past five years, resulting in 33 child fatalities and 2,612 injuries.

How would the parents feel if their child, who left home in the morning to go to kindergarten or school, were involved in a traffic accident in a school zone? To prevent any more children from suffering accidents like Minsik’s, we want to emphasize and urge drivers to strictly observe the following precautions within school zones.

First, drivers must slow down to 30 KM/h or less from the moment they enter a school zone. Since children can appear unpredictably, almost like moving traffic lights, driving slowly will make it easier for drivers to respond quickly.

Second, parking or stopping within school zones is prohibited. Doing so significantly obstructs the visibility of both child pedestrians and drivers, which is a major cause of accidents.

Third, drivers must always come to a complete stop before crosswalks and check for children crossing before proceeding. Since 70% of traffic accidents in school zones occur at crosswalks, extra caution is necessary.

Fourth, sudden braking or rapid acceleration within school zones is forbidden. Such actions not only increase the risk of accidents for drivers but also startle walking children, potentially causing sudden, unpredictable behavior that leads to accidents.

Additionally, when reversing, drivers should get out of the vehicle to check for children behind them, obey traffic signals, and strictly observe stop lines. Above all, safe driving based on compliance with relevant laws and a thorough safety awareness is crucial.

Although traffic accidents in school zones had gradually decreased, they increased again last year. Recognizing that many children remain exposed to traffic accident risks, it is hoped that the police and all drivers will pay a little more attention and care so that traffic accidents in school zones disappear and no more heartbreaking incidents like Minsik’s occur.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.