Nowon-gu Establishes 'Smart LIDAR' to Catch Speeding Vehicles in School Zones

Data Collection on School Zone Speeding Vehicles and Jaywalking Using LIDAR Sensors... Pilot Installation at Two Sites in Front of Seoul Suam Elementary and Seoul Yeonji Elementary in May... Linked with 'Smart Crosswalks' to Prevent Traffic Accidents for Vulnerable Road Users

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Although the so-called ‘Min-sik Law,’ which strengthens penalties for traffic accidents in school zones, was enacted last March, areas in front of schools are still exposed to accident risks such as speeding and illegal parking.

To address this, Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has established a ‘Smart LIDAR Children Protection System’ to prevent traffic accidents within school zones.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a technology that projects laser beams onto a target and calculates the return speed to detect the distance, size, and speed of objects.

It is a key operating principle of recently spotlighted autonomous vehicles.

The district installed LIDAR sensors in school zones to collect data related to pedestrians and vehicles, linking it with smart crosswalks to prevent traffic accidents involving children through this system.

The data collected by the system includes pedestrian information such as the number of pedestrians in the school zone and the number of jaywalking pedestrians, as well as vehicle information such as traffic volume, the number of speeding vehicles exceeding the speed limit (30 km/h in school zones), and average speed.

The collected data is compiled into statistics and stored on a server. The accumulated big data will be analyzed and used as basic data for establishing traffic safety facilities and traffic accident prevention policies.

To this end, in May, the system was pilot-installed at two locations in front of Seoul Suam Elementary School and Seoul Yeonji Elementary School, where traffic accidents frequently occur, and data collection began.

The district aims to create a synergy effect by linking the Smart LIDAR system with the ‘Smart Crosswalk’ scheduled to be introduced in November. The Smart Crosswalk is a system that delivers traffic safety information through voice and screen using LED display panels. With the additional installation of LIDAR sensors, it will be possible to convey safety information such as speeding vehicles and jaywalking pedestrians, which is expected to significantly reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.

The district plans to expand the installation of these systems starting in 2021. After installation, it will develop a cyber safety map that provides real-time location information of speeding and illegally parked vehicles, which will be offered free of charge to residents.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “The introduction of the Smart LIDAR system is expected to greatly contribute to creating safe school routes for children,” and added, “We plan to carry out various projects in the future to ensure the safety and convenience of vulnerable road users such as the disabled and the elderly.”