"Reducing Pedestrian Traffic Accident Deaths by Half"… Government to Implement First Basic Plan Over 5 Years

Establishment of the '1st National Basic Plan for Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Improvement'... Joint Promotion by 9 Central Ministries including Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and National Police Agency
Installation of Right-Turn Traffic Lights at High-Accident Intersections and Safety Facilities at Raised Crosswalks
Strengthening Management and Crackdown on Personal Mobility Devices and Two-Wheelers

Status of Pedestrian Traffic Accident Deaths in OECD Member Countries

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] In the future, safety facilities such as right-turn traffic signals and raised crosswalks will be intensively installed at intersections with frequent traffic accidents, and a system will be promoted to prohibit overtaking near crosswalks.

Additionally, alleys without sidewalks will be designated and developed as pedestrian-priority roads to ensure safe passage for pedestrians, and management and enforcement against personal mobility devices (PMs) and two-wheelers that threaten pedestrians using sidewalks will be strengthened.

On the 25th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the "1st National Basic Plan for Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Enhancement," which includes these measures and was reviewed by the Central Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Promotion Committee. The goal is to significantly reduce traffic accident fatalities. This basic plan, established for the first time based on the "Act on Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Enhancement," is a pan-government plan jointly implemented by nine central ministries including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the National Police Agency, as well as local governments over five years (2022?2026).

The basic plan aims to reduce pedestrian traffic accident fatalities in South Korea, which ranks among the lowest among OECD member countries, to the OECD average level (1.1 deaths per 100,000 population) by 2026, and includes five major strategies and 20 tasks.

The five major strategies are △eliminating pedestrian safety hazards based on accident data △revising systems and expanding infrastructure tailored to vulnerable pedestrians △creating pedestrian-centered urban spaces to promote walking △strengthening the foundation for pedestrian-centered policy implementation △activating pedestrian safety culture and establishing pedestrian-centered awareness.

First, the government decided to prioritize pedestrian safety, considering that most pedestrian traffic accidents occur at intersections, crosswalks, and alleys, and that accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMs), bicycles, and two-wheelers using sidewalks are rapidly increasing. It will promote legal amendments to prohibit overtaking of vehicles ahead near crosswalks and create road environments where pedestrians can cross safely by adding crosswalks in areas with frequent jaywalking accidents.

Safety facility installations to prevent intersection traffic accidents will be expanded, and the introduction of "right-turn traffic signals" will be activated to create safer intersections. Alleys without sidewalks but with heavy traffic will be designated and managed as pedestrian-priority roads, and environmental improvements will be pursued. Furthermore, laws for managing personal mobility devices (PMs) will be established, bicycle and pedestrian-shared roads improved, and enforcement against two-wheelers using sidewalks will be strengthened to ensure safe pedestrian passage.

Considering the increasing social demand for child traffic safety due to low birth rates and aging population, and the rapid increase of elderly pedestrians who are most vulnerable to traffic accidents, tailored systems and infrastructure for vulnerable road users will be revised. Improvements to child protection zones and school routes will continue, and a regular inspection system for child protection zones will be introduced to establish maintenance and inspection frameworks.

Places with frequent elderly pedestrian traffic accidents, such as traditional markets, will be included in elderly protection zones, safety facilities tailored to elderly pedestrians will be expanded, and support such as traffic safety education will be increased. Additionally, pedestrian environment improvements that embrace vulnerable road users will be promoted, such as fixing sidewalk discontinuities near facilities frequently visited by wheelchair and stroller users and expanding the introduction of low-floor buses.

To not only ensure pedestrian safety but also promote walking, a pleasant and convenient pedestrian environment will be created. Elements that obstruct pedestrian passage, such as illegal parking and piled-up objects, will be actively improved, and pedestrian convenience facilities will be expanded to create walkable street environments. The creation of walkable paths such as parks and promenades within cities will be expanded to promote a pedestrian-friendly urban environment.

To shift the traffic safety system to be pedestrian-centered, the system will be improved and the foundation for effectively implementing related policies and projects will be strengthened. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will form a pedestrian policy promotion consultative body involving related agencies and experts, calculate pedestrian safety indices by region to assess pedestrian safety levels and provide advisory support, thereby enhancing the government's capacity to implement pedestrian policies. A data platform will be established and operated to systematically manage and share information by surveying pedestrian environments nationwide, supporting effective implementation of pedestrian projects and policies.

Tasks to form social consensus for pedestrian protection and create an advanced traffic culture where pedestrians and drivers respect each other will also be promoted. Public pedestrian safety education, publicity, and campaigns will be conducted, traffic safety education for drivers and vulnerable road users will be strengthened, and management and enforcement against habitual traffic violators threatening pedestrian safety will be intensified. A pedestrian environment maintenance system involving direct participation of local residents will be established, and resident-led "car-free streets" will be expanded to encourage public participation in pedestrian-related projects.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will establish and implement annual action plans with related central ministries and local governments based on this basic plan. Implementation status will be regularly inspected and managed, and administrative and financial support measures will be prepared to ensure smooth progress of the tasks.

Minister Lee Sang-min stated, "We will faithfully implement the established basic plan with related ministries to establish a pedestrian-centered traffic safety culture," and added, "We ask for the active interest and participation of the public so that South Korea can become an advanced country in pedestrian safety."

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