Suwon-si Expands 'Priority Signal System for Emergency Vehicles' such as Fire Engines

Suwon-si in Gyeonggi Province will apply the priority signal system to all emergency vehicles at fire stations within its jurisdiction.

The priority signal system for emergency vehicles was first established and has been operated nationwide by Suwon-si in March 2020. Through this system, the Suwon-si Urban Safety Integrated Center tracks vehicle locations using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and automatically provides a green light when an emergency vehicle enters an intersection.

For this purpose, Suwon-si additionally installed terminals on ambulances and fire engines (such as water tankers and ladder trucks) at Suwon Fire Station (22 vehicles) and Suwon Nambu Fire Station (26 vehicles).

With this expansion of the priority signal system for emergency vehicles, the coverage area will be extended not only across the entire Suwon-si area but also to the outskirts of Suwon, and the arrival time of emergency vehicles at disaster sites is expected to be dramatically reduced.

Suwon-si expands its priority signal system for emergency vehicles. Provided by Suwon-si

After Suwon-si introduced the priority signal system for emergency vehicles, the average travel time decreased by 63.5% compared to when the system was not in operation. It became possible to reach a general hospital emergency room within 10 minutes from anywhere in Suwon-si, playing a major role in securing the golden hour for emergency patients.

Because emergency vehicles can pass through intersections without violating traffic signals, the system has also helped improve the safety of paramedics. The number of traffic accidents involving emergency vehicles, which had averaged 14 cases per year before the system was introduced, fell to zero in 2021.

An official from Suwon-si said, "With the expansion of the priority signal system for emergency vehicles, we are now able to apply priority signals to 100% of Suwon-si's emergency vehicles," adding, "By dramatically reducing arrival times at disaster sites, we will be able to protect citizens' lives and property quickly and safely."

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