Golden Time Secured! … Pohang City Launches Pilot Operation of Priority Signal System for Emergency Vehicles

Pohang City will conduct a pilot operation of the ‘Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System,’ introduced as part of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) construction project, from October 11 to December 10.

Pilot Operation of Priority Signal System for Emergency Vehicles.

The ‘Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System’ is a system that grants priority signal rights by controlling the traffic signals at intersections to allow emergency vehicles to pass during emergency situations.

Since October last year, the city has discussed the system configuration and operation plans with related agencies such as fire and police departments, and plans to distribute vehicle terminals for the emergency vehicle priority signal system to Pohang South and North Fire Stations for pilot operation.

The pilot operation section covers all intersections within the region, and the operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After two months of pilot operation, the system will undergo stabilization monitoring, feedback collection, and consultations with related agencies, with official operation scheduled to begin in December.

Additionally, from the 21st to the 22nd of last month, the city conducted a joint pilot test with Pohang South and North Fire Stations and Pohang South and North Police Stations, comparing emergency vehicle normal driving and driving using the priority signal system from Pohang South and North Fire Stations to Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital.

The pilot test results showed a reduction in travel time from Pohang South Fire Station to Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital from 10 minutes 44 seconds to 8 minutes 14 seconds, a decrease of 2 minutes 30 seconds (23.2%), and from Pohang North Fire Station to Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital from 6 minutes 58 seconds to 5 minutes 19 seconds, a decrease of 1 minute 29 seconds (23.6%). The average emergency vehicle dispatch time was reduced by approximately 23.4%, and it is expected that the effect will be greater in areas with vehicle congestion and traffic jams.

Aerial view of Pohang City Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

Kim Hyun-gu, Head of the Construction and Transportation Business Headquarters, said, “We expect that the introduction of the Emergency Vehicle Priority Signal System will greatly contribute to securing the golden time and improving the driving safety of emergency vehicles.” He added, “Even if temporary vehicle congestion occurs when emergency vehicles pass through intersections, we ask citizens to understand that this is done with the intention of saving the lives of our precious families and neighbors and preventing greater damage.”

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