Gwangju City-Gwangju Police Promote Road Markings in School Zones...Nation's First

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 29th that, together with the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency, it will be the first in the nation to implement the ‘Children’s Gaze’ project, which clearly marks the start and end points of school zones.

The term ‘Children’s Gaze’ refers to the start line of a school zone, carrying the meaning of ‘Do not take your eyes off the children.’

With the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act and Special Act (Minsik’s Law) on March 25, the designation of school zones has become more important. This improvement measure addresses the problem of unclear road surface markings to make the protection zones more distinct.

Recognizing the importance of school zones, Gwangju City formed a collaborative team in June with the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency, the Road Traffic Authority, and the Office of Education to discuss better safety measures for protecting children.

The start and end lines of school zones will be installed so that drivers can immediately recognize them, using white letters on a green background, exactly matching the start and end point signs.

As a pilot project, one location will be selected in each autonomous district, totaling five sites, with the first installation completed in front of Gwangrim Elementary School in Seo-gu.

Additionally, since the current Road Traffic Act Enforcement Rules do not include road surface markings for the start and end of school zones, a proposal has been submitted to the Police Agency’s Traffic Safety Facility Review Committee. It is expected that once the enforcement rules are revised, the ‘Children’s Gaze’ project will be expanded nationwide.

Park Gap-su, Director of Gwangju City’s Traffic Policy Division, said, “Clearly distinguishing the start and end points of school zones will create a traffic environment where children are safer and drivers can clearly recognize the protection zones. We ask for the active cooperation of citizens in complying with traffic laws for the safety of children.”