"How to Make a Right Turn?"... Still Confusing One Week After Implementation

Confusion Continues at Intersections
Expert: "A Culture of Stopping First, Then Starting Must Be Established"

On the first day of the enforcement of the amended Road Traffic Act, which strengthened the obligation to protect pedestrians such as stopping temporarily in front of crosswalks, a right-turning vehicle is stopped on the road near Seoul Station on the 12th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] "Honestly, I'm a bit confused about what exactly is going on."

The new Road Traffic Act, which expands the obligation to stop temporarily before crosswalks, came into effect on the 12th, but traffic congestion and confusion are occurring in various places due to the changed regulations. Experts suggest that confusion can be reduced once a traffic culture of stopping first for pedestrians is established.

According to the revised Road Traffic Act, vehicles must stop temporarily not only when pedestrians are crossing the crosswalk they face while making a right turn at an intersection but also when there are pedestrians intending to cross. As a result, many right-turning vehicles stop temporarily even when there are no pedestrians crossing at intersections, leading to congestion and confusion. This situation is known to arise from differences in interpretation regarding when pedestrians intend to cross the crosswalk.

A week has passed since the revised Road Traffic Act came into effect, but drivers are still confused. On the 20th, at the Jamsil Station intersection. Photo by Lee Gyehwa, intern reporter withkh@asiae.co.kr

Ryu (37), a self-employed driver, said, "I'm confused about whether to go or not, so I stop first even if there are no pedestrians," adding, "I get angry when the car behind honks to hurry me up in such situations." He continued, "There are also students who suddenly run across on bicycles during pedestrian signals at crosswalks, so I stop unconditionally."

Another driver, Park (39), said, "Pedestrians should also be educated to obey crosswalk signals," adding, "Of course, drivers should be cautious, but I hope legal measures are put in place so that pedestrians, bicycle, and kickboard riders all bear responsibility for accidents."

Given these circumstances, there are also criticisms that explanations about 'when pedestrians intend to cross' are insufficient. According to the National Police Agency, drivers have the obligation to stop temporarily when pedestrians show intent to cross the crosswalk, such as △when entering the crosswalk △when signaling intent to cross by raising a hand to the driver △when looking around the road just before the crosswalk or running toward it, and guidelines have been announced that violations will be enforced.

Violating drivers are fined 60,000 KRW for passenger cars, 70,000 KRW for vans, and receive 10 penalty points. In case of traffic accidents, Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling (12 items of gross negligence) applies, punishable by imprisonment up to 5 years or fines up to 20 million KRW.

However, many drivers misunderstand that they must stop temporarily even when pedestrians are standing still on the sidewalk in front of the crosswalk without showing intent to cross. While prioritizing pedestrian safety is necessary, there are also concerns that drivers should not be misled into thinking that stopping temporarily is always mandatory.

Office worker Han (36) complained, "Recently, near large marts or shopping malls, at crosswalks without pedestrian signals, pedestrians keep passing by, causing inconvenience while waiting." He said, "I just go slowly depending on the situation," adding, "If I don't, I would have to wait endlessly." He also said, "I understand the purpose of the law, but I think various situations on the road should also be considered."

Professor Yoo Jeong-hoon of Ajou University’s Traffic Systems Engineering said, "In principle, the signal system is a simple rule: you must not go when the pedestrian signal is green, and you can go when it is red." He added, "The recent amendment to the Road Traffic Act is a step further in adhering to that principle." He suggested, "If unnecessary traffic lights are reduced and a traffic culture where vehicles stop unconditionally at stop signs like in foreign countries is established, confusion can be reduced." He concluded, "Whether at intersections with traffic lights or not, I hope this amendment to the Road Traffic Act will be a new starting point to normalize a culture where vehicles always stop temporarily at crosswalks regardless of whether pedestrians are present before proceeding."

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