Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee Discusses Safety Measures for Personal Mobility Devices

Safety Threats from Personal Mobility Devices Including Fatal Accidents
Significant Increase in Usage Following Social Distancing Lift... Need for Safety Measures Discussion

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee announced on the 31st that it held a meeting at the Gangnam Police Station conference room to urgently devise traffic accident prevention measures for Personal Mobility devices (PM), whose usage has recently increased.

Since the lifting of COVID-19 related social distancing measures, the number of late-night commuters returning home from entertainment districts with insufficient public transportation has increased, leading not only to a rise in the use of Personal Mobility devices but also a significant increase in users violating traffic laws, such as drunk driving and not wearing protective gear, making accident prevention measures urgent. The usage of shared PMs in Seoul has steadily increased, with 1.19 million rides in February, 1.42 million in March, and 1.86 million in April.

Accordingly, the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee visited Gangnam Police Station to share inter-agency collaboration cases, focused crackdowns, and publicity plans regarding Personal Mobility devices with officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Traffic Safety Division, and discussed future measures. Gangnam Police Station presented the results of a meeting held with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, Gangnam District Office, and PM sharing companies, and agreed to maintain an inter-agency cooperation system for publicity and campaigns aimed at reducing traffic accidents.

Furthermore, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to conduct a two-month intensive crackdown and combined education and publicity on major violations of two-wheeled vehicles, including Personal Mobility devices, motorcycles, and bicycles, until July 31, in response to the low compliance rate despite awareness of the amended Road Traffic Act effective from May 13 last year. The Autonomous Police Committee urged enforcement and education/publicity to ensure compliance with traffic laws for Personal Mobility devices, including mandatory safety equipment use, emphasizing that adherence to traffic laws is directly linked to citizens’ lives and raising public awareness. They also requested active sharing of excellent enforcement and improvement cases with neighboring police stations and local governments and promised active support at the committee level.

They also discussed ways to activate safety measures that actual users can comply with through shared Personal Mobility device experiences. Proposed safety activation measures included enhancing nighttime visibility by distributing luminous helmets and handles, and promoting the use of protective gear by supplying disposable helmet liners.

Kim Seong-seop, Standing Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee, said, “Personal Mobility devices such as electric kickboards are convenient but carry high risks, and careless use can lead to fatal accidents or serious incidents, so caution is necessary.” He added, “The autonomous police will take the lead in establishing a safe Personal Mobility device usage culture together with citizens.”

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