Right Turn Stop Stop Stop... Gwangju Police Promote Campaign to Reduce Related Accidents

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Police Agency and the Gwangju Autonomous Police Committee announced on the 12th that after operating a three-month guidance period since July 12 regarding the revised Road Traffic Act that strengthens pedestrian protection obligations, right-turn traffic accidents have significantly decreased compared to before the enforcement.

During the three months after the revised Road Traffic Act was enforced in the Gwangju area, right-turn traffic accidents decreased by 17.9% (179 cases → 147 cases) compared to the three months before enforcement (April 12 to July 11), and the number of injured persons decreased by 16.5% (243 → 203), while the number of fatalities remained the same at 2.

The number of violations for pedestrian protection obligations at crosswalks increased by 92.9% (113 cases → 218 cases).

The Gwangju Police have conducted multifaceted publicity and on-site enforcement and guidance activities focused on accident-prone areas for three months. With the end of the guidance and publicity period, from this day forward, enforcement will target clear violations where pedestrians’ intention to cross the crosswalk is clearly confirmed and the risk of accidents is high when pedestrians are ‘about to cross’ the crosswalk, while in other cases, guidance will continue.

When pedestrians are ‘crossing the crosswalk,’ enforcement will apply as before. When judging the ‘about to cross’ situation, the pedestrian’s intention to cross must be clearly confirmed based on the risk of accidents at the crosswalk, and there must be a clear pedestrian-threatening act.

The specific judgment criteria are as follows.

Primarily, when the crosswalk signal changes to green, during the green signal, or during the green flashing signal, if a pedestrian is just about to step onto the crosswalk, or if the pedestrian clearly indicates their intention to cross by raising or extending their hand to signal vehicles to stop and is about to step onto the crosswalk, it is often the case that the pedestrian has to avoid or is startled by oncoming vehicles. Anyone can clearly predict the pedestrian’s clear intention to cross and the risk of an accident, so this is subject to enforcement. In other cases, guidance will continue.

Even when the crosswalk signal is red, vehicles must stop temporarily if there are pedestrians crossing. In case of an accident, this may be punished not as a violation of pedestrian protection under Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act, but as a violation of safe driving under Article 48, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act.

Even when the crosswalk signal is green, if there are no pedestrians crossing or intending to cross nearby, vehicles may proceed with a slow right turn. However, drivers must always be vigilant.

Vehicles must stop temporarily until pedestrians have completed crossing at the crosswalk, and if the green signal continues after crossing is complete and no pedestrians are present, vehicles may proceed with a slow right turn.

At crosswalks without signals (unsignalized crosswalks) within child protection zones, vehicles must stop temporarily regardless of whether pedestrians are crossing.

A Gwangju Police Agency official stated, “To enhance citizens’ acceptance of the revised law strengthening pedestrian protection at crosswalks and to ensure stable establishment of the system, we will continuously monitor through guidance activities,” and urged drivers to “make it a habit to stop whenever pedestrians are present and allow time for pedestrians to complete crossing at crosswalks, and to all work together to create a pedestrian-centered traffic culture.”

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