Children's School Bus Seat Belts: Enhancing Safety by Lowering the Height

Height-adjustable safety belts for children's school buses (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The installation height of safety belts on children's school buses, which was previously too high for children to wear comfortably, will be lowered. Safety standards for high-power electrical devices to ensure the safety of users of the increasingly popular electric two-wheelers will also be established.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 21st that it will begin a legislative notice on the 22nd for a partial amendment to the "Regulations on the Performance and Standards of Automobiles and Automobile Parts," which includes these measures.

The safety belts on children's school buses will be improved so that the installation range of the shoulder attachment devices can be adjusted to a lower height than before, considering children's seating. This aims to enhance the protection function for children riding in school buses.

For electric two-wheelers, safety standards for high-power electrical devices and drive batteries have been established. High-power electrical devices must be equipped with protective devices, must not be disassembled or removed without tools, and must be designed so that people cannot directly touch them. Drive batteries are required to have overcharge prevention and overcurrent cutoff functions.

Safety standards related to cargo trucks will also be revised. Currently, end markers such as "horn lights" and "rabbit lights" used at the ends of cargo truck beds can now be installed on the rear sides as well, allowing drivers to easily identify the positions of both ends when reversing or changing lanes at night. Additionally, regarding the operation of variable axles on cargo trucks, the amendment clarifies the previously confusing regulations by distinctly separating the conditions for automatic operation and the installation conditions for manual control devices, improving related standards.

Performance standards for safety devices protecting pedestrians behind vehicles will also be improved. The diameter standard for observation rods installed in the rear detection area during rearview camera installation tests will be relaxed, and new warning sound standards, including the type of warning sound and sound level measurement criteria for pedestrian approach warning devices, will be established.

Kim Sangseok, Director of Automobile Management at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We expect that improving safety standards for high-power electrical devices on electric two-wheelers will not only lay the foundation for the activation of electric two-wheeler distribution but also greatly contribute to the smooth application of advanced technologies," adding, "We will continue to strengthen safety standards to ensure that safe automobiles are produced, including enhancing the safety of children's school buses.”