4 out of 10 Traffic Accident Deaths Are Pedestrians... Comprehensive Traffic Safety Measures Established

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] It has been revealed that 4 out of 10 traffic accident fatalities over the past five years were 'pedestrians.' The government plans to implement a comprehensive traffic safety plan for pedestrians to reduce traffic accident deaths by half.

According to the National Police Agency on the 17th, the provisional number of traffic accident fatalities last year was 3,351. Among them, 1,302 (38.8%) were pedestrian fatalities. The proportion of pedestrians among total traffic accident deaths has remained around 40% annually, with 38.8% in 2015, 40% each in 2016 and 2017, and 39.3% in 2018.

The police explained that this pedestrian fatality rate is more than twice the OECD average (18.6%), and the number of deaths per 100,000 people is 3.3 times the OECD average (1.0). Pedestrian deaths among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children are also significant, with pedestrian fatalities among those aged 65 and older at 12.8 per 100,000 and those aged 14 and under at 0.5 per 100,000, exceeding the OECD averages by 4.5 times and 2.5 times, respectively.

(Data from the National Police Agency)

In particular, fatal accidents involving children in school zones (child protection zones) have not ceased. Among the 154 child pedestrian fatalities over the past five years, 21.4% (33) occurred within school zones. Children are not actually being protected in these zones.

The National Police Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of the Interior and Safety have decided to implement the '2020 Comprehensive Pedestrian Traffic Safety Plan' reflecting this reality. First, traffic police will be concentrated in areas with frequent pedestrian accidents, and local governments will collaborate to expand traffic safety facilities. The 'Safe Speed 5030' policy, which limits urban speed to 50 km/h or less, will be promoted for nationwide implementation within this year. For regions with poor pedestrian accident reduction performance, 'traffic safety consulting' will be conducted to verify whether appropriate measures have been taken.

Additionally, strict measures will be taken against high-risk behaviors such as illegal parking in school zones, and reflecting the increase in motorcycle accidents due to the spread of delivery culture, undercover enforcement and public reporting will be activated. A police official stated, "Last year, we focused all efforts on reducing traffic accident fatalities, resulting in an 11.4% decrease in deaths," adding, "This year, we will continue to prioritize protecting the lives of the public."