Why Urban Crosswalks Are Transforming into Scrambles [Reading Science]

The world's most famous scramble crosswalk, the scramble crosswalk at Shibuya Street in Tokyo, Japan.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] These days, most crosswalks are changing. In the Seoul metropolitan area, most crosswalks are being converted into scramble crosswalks where pedestrians can cross all at once.

Scramble crosswalks, also known as diagonal crosswalks, derive their name from the word "Scramble," which means "to move quickly and frantically." This is because the sight of pedestrians crossing in multiple directions at an intersection reminds people of the word scramble.

In the past, crosswalks at intersections were shaped like the Korean letters 'ㄷ' or 'ㄴ', and pedestrian signals were separate. However, nowadays, most urban intersections have crosswalks shaped like 'ㅁ' or 'ㅁ' with an added 'X' shape. At intersections with these types of crosswalks, pedestrian signals change all at once.

All vehicles from every direction stop, and pedestrians waiting at the roadside can cross all together. At intersections without scramble crosswalks, pedestrians cross separately according to individual signals, which now seems awkward, as it has become natural for pedestrians to move in a scramble manner.

So, why were crosswalks shaped like 'ㄷ' or 'ㄴ' changed into scramble crosswalks? It started to reduce "pedestrian deaths."

According to the National Police Agency, the number of traffic accident fatalities in South Korea has steadily decreased over the past five years. The number of traffic accident deaths dropped from 4,621 in 2015 to 4,292 in 2016, then to 4,185 in 2017, 3,781 in 2018, and 3,349 in 2019, showing a significant downward trend.

By accident type, deaths caused by drunk driving decreased by 14.7% over the past five years, child-related accidents by 23.5%, and fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles by 15.4%. However, the most notable statistic is the "traffic accident type with the highest number of deaths." Pedestrian fatalities accounted for as much as 38.9%.

Compared to other countries, South Korea's pedestrian safety level was serious. Among OECD countries, Chile had the highest pedestrian fatality rate, followed by South Korea. The main cause of pedestrian accidents was jaywalking. For this reason, changes to crosswalks began.

Scramble crosswalk installation in South Korea started in the early 2010s and became widespread from 2017. Seoul and some cities in the metropolitan area installed them first, and several large cities in the provinces also joined in.

A diagonal crosswalk at an intersection in downtown Seoul. It is completely empty due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
[Photo by YouTube screenshot]

Is it actually effective? Scramble crosswalks significantly reduce pedestrian crossing time. According to a report by a media outlet, it takes 26 seconds for an adult male to walk the same path in an 'ㄱ' shape, but only 19 seconds using a scramble crosswalk. Adding the 50 seconds of waiting time at the signal, scramble crosswalks reduce pedestrian crossing time to about one-quarter of what it was before installation.

Traffic accidents have also greatly decreased. The installation of scramble crosswalks and a single signal system simultaneously blocks vehicles from all directions, reducing reckless right turns by drivers and jaywalking by pedestrians. In New York City, which introduced scramble crosswalks, pedestrian accidents decreased by about 51%. It has been especially helpful for vulnerable road users such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

How about in South Korea? According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2018, the elderly accounted for 50.5% of all traffic accident fatalities, showing that vulnerable road users were susceptible to accidents. After the installation of scramble crosswalks, their crossing time was sufficiently secured, leading to a significant decrease in accident rates. According to a survey by the Korea Road Traffic Authority, more than 50% of both pedestrians and drivers responded that scramble crosswalks are effective in preventing accidents.

Although scramble crosswalks may look very complicated and confusing, in reality, they prevent jaywalking by eliminating the need for pedestrians to detour, connect interrupted pedestrian routes, and help revitalize nearby commercial areas. Also, since all vehicles come to a complete stop, they greatly contribute to accident prevention.

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