Speed limit '20 km' school zones to increase by 50 locations

Seoul City Designates 50 Additional Narrow Protection Zones
Speed Limit Reduced from 30km/h to 20km/h... Protecting Vulnerable Road Users
Expanding Safety Facilities to Enhance Pedestrian and Driver Awareness
Protection Zone Yellow Flashing Lights Replaced with Red Flashing Lights

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will designate 50 additional side streets within school zones and reduce the speed limit from 30 km/h to 20 km/h. In particular, the installation of speed enforcement cameras within school zones will be completed 100% by the end of the year.

On the 18th, Seoul announced the '2024 Comprehensive Management Plan for School Zones' focusing on protecting vulnerable pedestrians such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

[Photo by Seoul City]

First, the walking environment around school routes with high accident risks will be intensively improved. Fifty additional side streets narrower than 8 meters, where schools are located in residential areas and securing walking space is difficult, will be designated, lowering the speed limit from the current 30 km/h to 20 km/h. For 20 streets with heavy school traffic, additional sidewalks will be constructed. Furthermore, roads wider than 8 meters will have sidewalks with height differences, while roads narrower than 8 meters or those where height differences cannot be applied due to site conditions will secure walking space by using different colors or pavement materials.

Facilities to prevent pedestrian accidents during crossing and to enhance driver awareness will also be expanded. This includes 177 pedestrian safety facilities such as 'protective fences' and 'yellow crosswalks,' as well as 600 driver awareness facilities like 'speed limit signs' and 'start/end point road markings.'

Safety devices reflecting on-site conditions, such as traffic signals and smart crosswalks, will be installed. Thirty signal-less crosswalks will receive new traffic signals, and 30 locations requiring improved visibility will have their signals replaced with yellow ones. Additionally, as stopping at non-signalized crosswalks within school zones becomes mandatory, 60 locations with yellow flashing lights will be changed to red flashing lights.

To prevent accidents caused by smartphone use while waiting at crosswalks, 110 locations will have floor traffic lights added, and 100 locations will be equipped with voice guidance auxiliary signals that emit warning sounds to pedestrians attempting to jaywalk.

The installation of speed enforcement cameras within school zones will also be completed 100%. This measure aims to reduce pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries by lowering entry speeds into the zones. Additionally, 536 traffic safety instructors will accompany young elementary school students on their commutes. Furthermore, special enforcement in school zones will be conducted twice a year, coinciding with the start of the school term when children's pedestrian traffic increases.

Seoul plans to invest a total budget of 38.2 billion KRW this year to implement the 'Comprehensive Management Plan for School Zones.' Yoon Jong-jang, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urban Transportation Office, stated, "We plan to focus on more detailed environmental improvements and facility expansions for vulnerable road users, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We will do our best to create and operate Seoul-style school zones where all citizens can walk safely and conveniently."

[Photo by Seoul City]

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