Seongdong-gu, What Is the Secret to Having the Lowest Number of Traffic Accidents in Seoul Over the Past 3 Years?

Published 03 Feb.2021 06:44(KST)

Updated 03 Feb.2021 19:52(KST)

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Efforts to Enhance Traffic Safety Using Smart Technologies Like Smart Crosswalks and Smart School Zones Resulted in the Lowest Number of Incidents in 2017 and 2019

Seongdong-gu Smart Crosswalk

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul, Seongdong-gu recorded the lowest number of pedestrian traffic accidents over the past three years.

This is attributed to the continuous implementation of traffic safety projects for both pedestrians and drivers, such as the installation of the nation’s first ‘Seongdong-type Smart Crosswalk’ that integrates smart technology, and the promotion of the ‘Safe School Commute Project’ utilizing big data.

According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, the total number of pedestrian traffic accidents in Seoul from 2017 to 2019 was 30,123.

Among these, Seongdong-gu recorded a total of 738 traffic accidents, the lowest figure among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul. Not only the total number over three years but also the annual figures were the lowest, with 242 cases in 2017 and 225 cases in 2019.

Notably, this represents a 17.3% decrease compared to the previous three years (2014?2016). Between 2014 and 2016, Seongdong-gu had 892 pedestrian traffic accidents, ranking third lowest among Seoul districts at the time. Since then, the number of accidents has steadily declined, earning Seongdong-gu the ‘honorable last place’ in the total number of traffic accidents over the recent three years.

Seongdong-gu, which has adopted ‘Smart Inclusive City’ as its vision for the 7th local government term, has devoted efforts to improving traffic safety and pedestrian convenience by utilizing various advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analysis.

A representative example is the ‘Seongdong-type Smart Crosswalk,’ the first of its kind nationwide. This crosswalk, which integrates eight smart technologies including focused lighting, automatic vehicle license plate recognition, voice guidance for pedestrian signals, and ground signals, reduced vehicles violating the stop line by 83.4%, significantly lowering the risk of traffic accidents (as of the end of 2019).

The ‘Safe School Commute Project’ is also noteworthy. Since 2017, Seongdong-gu has used various big data such as school commute route data, children’s traffic behavior data, and traffic safety facility data to identify areas with a high potential for child traffic accidents and has prepared preventive measures accordingly.

Accordingly, in November last year, Seongdong-gu pilot-established the ‘Seongdong-type Yellow School Zone’ by painting all facilities in child protection zones with highly visible safety colors and installing speed cameras and speed warning systems. By the end of 2020, durable and highly visible yellow carpet sign blocks were installed at 16 elementary schools in the district.

The Walking School Bus project, where traffic safety instructors walk with children commuting in the same direction to their nearby residences, and the placement of traffic safety guardians in child protection zones have also received high praise from local parents. In fact, there was only one traffic accident involving children and vehicles in Seongdong-gu’s child protection zones in 2019.

Seongdong-gu plans to continue promoting various projects this year to enhance the safety of both pedestrians and drivers.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, emphasized, “Traffic safety, which can be directly linked to life, is a critical issue that cannot be neglected. Under the vision of ‘Smart Inclusive City’ for the 7th local government term, we will continuously seek pioneering and innovative methods to ensure that both pedestrians and drivers can travel safely within Seongdong-gu and will develop the ‘Seongdong-type Traffic Safety’ model.”