[Report] "It Turns Red When You Cross" Harsh Pedestrian Signals for Elderly and Disabled

More Than Half of Traffic Accident Deaths Are Elderly
Pedestrian Signal Time Far Too Short for Disabled and Elderly

On the 3rd, pedestrians crossing the street at a traffic light in the Gangseo-gu area of Seoul / Photo by Seulgi Kim, Intern Reporter sabiduriakim@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] "The crossing time at pedestrian signals is far too short for those who have difficulty moving or elderly people to cross safely."

Amid findings that more than half of traffic accident fatalities are elderly, concerns have been raised that pedestrian signals provide insufficient crossing time for elderly and mobility-impaired pedestrians.

According to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, from 2016 to 2018, 53.6% of pedestrian traffic accident fatalities were people aged 65 or older.

In particular, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Seoul Police), as of September last year, there were a total of 178 traffic accident fatalities in the Seoul area, of which 110 (62%) were pedestrians. Among these 110 pedestrian fatalities, nearly half (48%) were elderly aged 65 or older.

On the 3rd, Jang, 74, who runs a street stall in Gayang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, said, "There are three traffic lights around here; one has a long signal time, and two have short ones. Previously, the pedestrian signal time was even shorter, but it seems to have increased a bit recently," adding, "If they want to make it longer, they should make all of them longer, but only one has been extended, so many citizens still find it inconvenient to cross."

On the same day, Mrs. Lee, 82, who hurriedly crossed the pedestrian signal in front of a social welfare center in Gangseo-gu, said, "My legs hurt every time I cross the signal. Even if I try to walk fast, I get exhausted, and after crossing, I have to stop and catch my breath before moving again."

Also, Mr. Choi, 67, who was crossing the signal in an electric wheelchair, said, "For someone like me in an electric wheelchair, crossing quickly is possible, so the short pedestrian signal time is not a big problem. However, I have seen people in manual wheelchairs who cannot cross within the signal time. I have witnessed several dangerous situations where cars did not check if the wheelchair had fully crossed the crosswalk and tried to pass through."

The photo shows a pedestrian crossing the road horizontally due to insufficient pedestrian signal time. Photo by Seulgi Kim, Intern Reporter sabiduriakim@

Mr. Yoon, 77, who was pushing his elderly mother in a wheelchair, said, "The pedestrian signal time is too short. As a result, many elderly people do not obey the signals and jaywalk when there are no cars or cross the road even when the light is red," adding, "If the signal time were longer and elderly people could walk at a relaxed pace, I often think, 'They wouldn't have to cross the road dangerously.'"

Given this situation, some mobility-impaired pedestrians were seen preparing to cross the road outside the crosswalk even when the pedestrian signal was red. The distance between these pedestrians and vehicles making right turns after receiving the signal was less than one meter, creating extremely dangerous situations.

A pedestrian with a limp, Mr. A, whom we met in the Gayang-dong area, said, "The signal ends too quickly, and when the light turns red, cars honk to intimidate me several times, so now I naturally prepare to cross even before the green light comes on."

Mr. A added, "There are many people with mobility difficulties in this neighborhood, so I hope the district office or city government will address these issues."

On the 3rd, in the Gangseo-gu area of Seoul, a pedestrian with mobility difficulties is seen hurrying to cross within the pedestrian signal time / Photo by Seulgi Kim, Intern Reporter sabiduriakim@

Additionally, pedestrians using wheelchairs and their caregivers often cross roads diagonally, including crosswalks, to cross faster.

Mr. Park, who was crossing the road in a wheelchair, said, "It would be great if we could cross the crosswalk within the pedestrian signal time. However, the time is so short that we have no choice but to cross diagonally every time," adding, "If I cross even a little late, cars honk and intimidate me, which has made me angry more than once. We are not jaywalking, but please consider our situation where we cannot fully cross the crosswalk."

A representative from the Seoul Police Agency's signal operation office explained that pedestrian signal times are set for vulnerable road users, including the elderly, but they are considering establishing guidelines to allow more time based on social discussions.

The official stated, "The length of pedestrian signals is applied according to the traffic signal manual created by the National Police Agency. This year, the standards have been relaxed, and the time applied within protected zones has been increased."

He continued, "In Seoul, even in areas that are not designated as protected zones, such as traditional markets and hospitals where many elderly people frequent, pedestrian signals are given the same standards as protected zones. More time is being allocated than the standard, and the National Police Agency is preparing guidelines to respond to social demands regarding pedestrian signals."