More Than Half of Pedestrian Injury Accidents Involving Elementary Students Occur During After-School Hours

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] More than half of pedestrian injury accidents involving elementary school students occurred in the afternoon. In particular, accidents were concentrated in school zones, and the risk was higher for lower grades, so the police explained that drivers need to exercise special caution.

The National Police Agency and the Korea Road Traffic Authority analyzed the characteristics of student pedestrian traffic accidents over five years from 2016 to last year and announced these results on the 28th. According to the National Police Agency and the Korea Road Traffic Authority, the number of elementary school student pedestrian casualties over the past five years was 12,273, of which 51.5% occurred after school between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Accidents were especially concentrated between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., showing the highest rate at 27.5% of the total.

The proportion of pedestrian casualties among elementary school students was higher in lower grades. 61.7% occurred in lower grades (grades 1 to 3), with first graders accounting for 22.1%. Next were second graders at 20.8% and third graders at 18.8%. Then followed the upper grades: fourth grade (14.0%), fifth grade (12.7%), and sixth grade (11.7%) in order. By accident type, accidents occurring while crossing the road accounted for the largest share at 69%, of which jaywalking accounted for 40.4%. Additionally, 13.1% (1,602 students) of elementary school pedestrian casualties occurred in school zones.

The National Police Agency plans to implement traffic safety measures for children during the school opening period, fearing an increase in traffic accidents as educational facilities such as elementary schools reopen in March. For one month, police and others will be concentrated in school zones during commuting hours to strictly crack down on traffic violations that cause accidents, such as signal violations and speeding.

The police stated, "Lower-grade elementary students are not familiar with crossing roads and are insufficient in responding to dangerous situations, so continuous education and guidance on safe walking are necessary at schools and homes," and added, "As children’s activities increase during the school opening period, drivers need to exercise special caution." The Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "Since outdoor activities such as academy commutes and playing are frequent in the afternoon, elementary students are more exposed to accident risks, so traffic safety should be carefully observed."

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