Opinions Divided on the Effectiveness of Late-Night School Zone Speed Enforcement

Inefficiency of '30 km/h Speed Limit' Even in Desolate Nighttime

"Drivers Must Stay Alert 24 Hours in School Zones"

A view of a child protection zone in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Seulgi Sung] #1 A(34), a resident of Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, recently received a text message stating that a fine notice had been sent. It was for exceeding the speed limit by 22 km/h in a school zone in Seo-gu around 11:30 PM. A said, “I admit I broke the rule, but I wondered if it was right to enforce speeding regulations at a late hour when children are not around.”

#2 B(30), an office worker, was fined for driving at 63 km/h in a school zone in Nam-gu at 2:15 AM on the 23rd of last month. Since it was late and there were no people around, B felt safe speeding. While B, who is also a parent, thought paying the fine was natural, there was some doubt about whether enforcement should continue until the early morning hours when even adults rarely pass by.

There is public discontent among citizens about operating speed enforcement cameras in school zones even during late-night hours when pedestrian traffic is sparse.

However, the police explain that school zones are areas where children can be present at any time, so drivers should recognize this and cooperate accordingly.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency on the 7th, the number of speed violations caught by unmanned cameras in child protection zones over the past three months were 1,431 in May, 1,781 in June, and 2,258 last month.

With the end of the guidance period for lowering the school zone speed limit (from 50 km/h to 30 km/h), the sharp increase in violations last month shows that many drivers are still not accustomed to the new limit.

Especially since school zone speed cameras operate 24 hours a day, opinions among citizens differ regarding enforcement during late-night hours.

Some citizens argue that maintaining the 30 km/h speed limit during late-night hours is inefficient for driving.

Generally, school zones are around kindergartens and schools, and they question how many children would be passing through after 10 PM or past midnight. Therefore, some suggest that even in school zones, the speed limit could be raised to around 50 km/h, which is the urban speed limit, during late-night hours.

Ms. Lee (29, female) said, “At late hours, there are hardly any people, let alone children, in school zones. I understand enforcement during the morning or daytime, but I don’t understand why we have to drive below 30 km/h at night.”

On the other hand, there are arguments that school zones should be enforced 24 hours a day to keep drivers alert.

To secure safe routes for students, it is argued that drivers should adhere to the speed limit regardless of whether children are present. The perception that “school zones must always be respected” should become a habit.

Mr. Kim (58) said, “It is right to enforce even at night. School zones are paths where children, who adults must protect, walk. Even if children are not around late at night, drivers should proceed slowly with caution in these areas.”

Regarding this, a police official said, “We are aware that there are many questions about whether speed enforcement in school zones should continue at night, based on residents’ feedback and posts on the internet.” He added, “We listen to various opinions, but we also have the duty to keep these protection zones safe for children. We hope citizens will remain vigilant and comply.”

Meanwhile, under current law, fines for speeding violations in child protection zones for passenger cars are ▲up to 20 km/h over: 70,000 KRW ▲over 20 km/h up to 60 km/h: 100,000 KRW ▲over 40 km/h up to 60 km/h: 130,000 KRW ▲over 60 km/h: 160,000 KRW.

For buses, the fines are ▲up to 20 km/h over: 70,000 KRW ▲over 20 km/h up to 60 km/h: 110,000 KRW ▲over 40 km/h up to 60 km/h: 140,000 KRW ▲over 60 km/h: 170,000 KRW.

For motorcycles, the fines are ▲up to 20 km/h over: 50,000 KRW ▲over 20 km/h up to 60 km/h: 70,000 KRW ▲over 40 km/h up to 60 km/h: 90,000 KRW ▲over 60 km/h: 110,000 KRW.