Joint Intensive Inspection of 36 'Eorini Boho Guyeok' with Frequent Traffic Accidents

Areas with Frequent Traffic Accidents Involving Two or More Incidents or Fatalities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 12th that it will conduct a joint on-site inspection with related agencies to analyze the causes of accidents and improve traffic safety facilities in school zones with frequent traffic accidents, aiming to minimize the tragic loss of children due to traffic accidents in these areas.

This inspection targets areas where two or more traffic accidents have occurred or where fatal accidents have taken place. From the 13th to the 16th, inspections will be conducted in 36 school zones nationwide that meet these criteria.

According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority's traffic accident analysis, over the past 10 years, there have been 141,552 child traffic accident casualties, with 50,862 (35.9% of the total) occurring while children were walking. Last year, 76 out of 77 accidents (98.7%) happened during walking.

In particular, over the past 10 years, the number of child traffic accidents totaled 113,536 cases, with 40.4% (45,812 cases) occurring between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., the time when children return home from school or go to academies. Last year, 34 out of 72 cases (47.2%) occurred during this time. Last year, there were 72 traffic accidents in school zones, with the highest frequency in July at 13 cases (18.1%), followed by June and November with 12 cases each (16.7%).

By age group, over the past 10 years, preschool children accounted for 42.2% of all traffic accidents. Last year, this percentage decreased to 18.2%, while first and second graders, who accounted for 10.3% and 10.1% respectively over the past decade, showed higher rates of 16.9% and 23.4% last year.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to comprehensively analyze school zones with high traffic accident risks through this joint on-site inspection and prepare improvement measures tailored to regional characteristics, aiming to complete facility improvements within the year.

Kim Ki-young, Director of the Life Safety Policy Division, stated, “We will thoroughly analyze and focus on improving the issues of frequent traffic accidents in school zones to create a walking environment where our children can safely and securely commute to and from school.”