'Deadly Weapon on the Road' Illegal Cargo Truck Panspring to Be Replaced with Safety Barriers in School Zones

Seoul City, Hyundai Motor, Ministry of Land, and Others Launch Campaign for Illegal Panspring Collection and Voluntary Removal... Cooperation Agreement on 30th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 2nd that it will launch a practical campaign to recover illegal pansprings and encourage voluntary removal by cargo truck owners, in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Police Agency, and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

A cargo truck panspring is a steel plate attached under the vehicle body to cushion the impact on the wheels. However, contrary to its original purpose, it is often illegally modified and used as an auxiliary support by inserting it beside the cargo bed where goods are loaded on cargo trucks. If this heavy steel panspring falls off a moving cargo truck, it can cause significant damage to other vehicles and pose a serious risk that could cost drivers their lives.

Through this campaign, the recovered illegal pansprings will be upcycled into safety fences installed in school zones. The illegal pansprings, which were once dangerous weapons on the road, will be transformed into safety fences for children.

Hyundai Motor Company will accept panspring removal requests through its service network ‘Bluehands’ (50 locations nationwide) and upcycle them into safety fences. Support will be provided free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 300 cargo trucks, along with a fuel gift certificate worth 100,000 KRW. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will select locations for installing safety fences in school zones in consultation with each district office. Installation is scheduled to begin in September.

Earlier, on the 30th, Seoul signed a business agreement on this matter through a non-face-to-face meeting attended by Lee Hye-kyung, Seoul’s Walking-Friendly Planning Officer; Yoo Won-ha, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company; Kim Jeong-hee, Director of Automobile Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; and Ryu Ik-hee, Head of the Automobile Inspection Headquarters at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. Seoul aims to achieve two effects simultaneously: preventing accidents by recovering illegal pansprings and creating a safe commuting environment by installing fences in school zones.

Moreover, this new attempt to not only recycle illegal pansprings but also rebirth them as safety devices is expected to raise safety management awareness among cargo truck drivers and alleviate the general public’s fear of cargo trucks, thereby improving mutual perceptions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has revised the automobile safety standards guidelines to require tuning approval and safety inspections to fix pansprings to the vehicle when used as auxiliary supports for cargo beds. Lee Hye-kyung, Walking-Friendly Planning Officer, said, “Illegal pansprings on cargo trucks, which threatened safety on the roads, have been transformed into safety devices that protect children. We ask all cargo truck owners and freight transport workers nationwide to actively participate in the removal of pansprings to improve traffic safety culture.”