'Traffic Islands' Obstructing Drivers' View... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport "Enhancing Safety Facilities"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] A customized improvement plan for traffic islands, commonly seen at urban intersections, has been developed to enable pedestrians and drivers to use them more safely.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 17th that it created the "Traffic Island Improvement Guidelines" on the 14th and distributed them to local governments and other road management authorities.

Traffic islands, which allow vehicles to make right turns without passing through intersections, began to be installed in the 1990s. In Seoul, 936 traffic islands are installed at 523 intersections out of 7,172 intersections.

However, as cities developed, subway entrances, ventilation shafts, and street trees increased near intersections, causing some traffic islands to obstruct drivers' visibility.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Land decided to take measures such as reinforcing safety facilities and removing street trees to ensure safer operation of traffic islands.

First, at "pedestrian-priority intersections," where pedestrian safety is paramount, raised crosswalks, stop signs, and protective fences for sidewalks will be installed to encourage vehicles to drive at low speeds.

In such areas, the installation of new traffic islands will be minimized. For intersections with heavy pedestrian traffic but no traffic flow issues, the removal of traffic islands will also be considered.

At "vehicle-priority intersections" with heavy vehicle traffic, street trees will be removed and crosswalk locations adjusted to help drivers easily spot pedestrians. Additionally, safety facilities such as delineator posts will be reinforced to enhance pedestrian safety.

Juhyun Jong, Director of the Road Bureau at the Ministry of Land, said, "We expect that through this traffic island improvement, traffic islands will become safer and more convenient for both pedestrians and drivers."

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