Eliminating Level Differences with India, Securing Driver's View, and Enhancing Pedestrian Safety through Focused Attention
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) took a step further toward achieving zero traffic accidents by completing the installation of raised crosswalks on elementary school routes within the district in mid-month.
The installation areas include the school zones of Gyeongil and Haengdang Elementary Schools and the vicinity of Okjeong Elementary School's commuting routes.
Raised crosswalks, installed at the same height as the sidewalk curbs, feature a protruding surface that encourages vehicles to slow down. By eliminating height differences between the sidewalk and the crosswalk, they enable easier movement for traffic-vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled, and allow safe crossing for bicycle and stroller users.
Additionally, the crosswalks, raised by 20cm, improve visibility for drivers when young elementary students, especially those in lower grades, cross the street.
In particular, based on legal regulations, an optimal design method was sought by painting both sides of the crosswalk in the school zones with dark red pavement and marking white triangles to focus drivers’ attention on pedestrians.
Last year, the district conducted a comprehensive survey of over 100 traffic control facilities around elementary schools and high-risk traffic accident spots to prevent accidents in school zones.
In cooperation with the Seongdong Police Station, continuous on-site inspections and consultations were held, and in March, the project passed the traffic safety facility review. The district then immediately began construction by repairing roads and sidewalks at selected sites and relocating rainwater drains, completing the work in mid-month.
Previously, the district implemented projects such as the ‘Seongdong-type Yellow School Zone’ and ‘Yellow Carpet Sign Blocks,’ utilizing big data to create ‘Safe Routes for Children to and from School.’ As a result, over the past three years, Seongdong-gu has recorded the lowest number of pedestrian traffic accidents among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts.
The district plans to continue expanding traffic safety facilities at locations where children’s pedestrian traffic is inconvenient and traffic accident risks are high.
Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “Traffic safety projects are an absolute priority that cannot be neglected,” and added, “We will continue to actively strive for children’s traffic safety.”
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