Smartphones Turn Off at Crosswalks?... Seongdong-gu Pilots 'Smartphone Blocking System' at Elementary School Crosswalks

Starting This Month, 'Smartphone Blocking System' Introduced at Crosswalks in Front of Elementary Schools to Create Safer Routes... Installing 'Smartphone Blocking App' Encourages Students to Avoid Using Phones When Entering Smart Crosswalks

The smartphone is blocked at the crosswalk in front of Soongsin Elementary School.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Wono) has pilot-introduced a ‘smartphone blocking system’ at smart crosswalks in front of elementary school main gates and started operation in line with the second semester opening, aiming to create safer school routes.

The ‘smartphone blocking system’ is a system that blocks the smartphone screen when crossing the crosswalk.

When the ‘smartphone blocking app’ is installed on the phone, it activates upon entering the crosswalk, switching to a blocking screen and giving warnings through voice and vibration to discourage use, thereby guiding students not to use their smartphones and enabling them to cross the crosswalk safely.

The smartphone ownership rate among domestic elementary school students rapidly increased from 55% in 2017 to 77.9% in 2019, and the usage rate while walking was as high as 39.4% in 2019.

In particular, pedestrian traffic accidents involving ‘smombies’?pedestrians who walk with their heads down looking at their smartphone screens?have increased 1.9 times over the past five years. In response, the district introduced a method to block smartphone screens to prevent students from crossing crosswalks while looking at their phones, thereby enhancing the walking safety of young students.

This month, the blocking system was introduced at seven Seongdong-type smart crosswalks in front of the main gates of Kyungdong Elementary, Kyungil Elementary, Geumbuk Elementary, Geumho Elementary, Soongsin Elementary, Okjeong Elementary, and Haenghyeon Elementary. The plan is to expand this to all smart crosswalks on school routes within the district in the future.

Jeong Wono, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Traffic safety, which can be directly linked to life, is the most important value that must be prioritized. We will strengthen school route safety through the smartphone lock function and continue to develop the ‘Seongdong-type traffic safety’ model in a pioneering and innovative way.”