No Parking or Stopping in 'Eorini Bohoguyeok' Zones... Revised Road Traffic Act to Take Effect on the 21st

Children Allowed to Board and Alight in Safety Sign Permitted Zones

Children Protection Zone stock photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Parking and stopping are fundamentally prohibited in school zones, and drivers who cause traffic accidents must mandatorily undergo special traffic safety education.

The National Police Agency announced on the 20th that the revised Road Traffic Act with these provisions will be enforced starting from the 21st.

Previously, even in school zones, legal parking and stopping were possible unless the area was separately designated as a no-parking zone. However, with the enforcement of the revised law, all school zones will have a complete ban on parking and stopping regardless of separate designation as no-parking zones.

However, in areas where the city or provincial police chief permits with safety signs, parking and stopping for the purpose of children boarding or alighting is allowed during specified times. According to the safety signs, zones are divided into those where only school buses are allowed to park or stop for up to 5 minutes, and those where all vehicles are allowed to park or stop for up to 5 minutes.

Safety sign indicating boarding and alighting allowed in school zones. [Photo by National Police Agency]

In the past, only drivers who caused child traffic accidents in school zones and received license suspension or cancellation were required to complete special traffic safety education. However, under the revised law, drivers who cause child traffic accidents in school zones must mandatorily complete special traffic safety education even if they only receive license penalty points without suspension or cancellation.

An official from the National Police Agency cautioned, "Even vehicles for the purpose of transporting children to school can be subject to enforcement if they park or stop in places without safety signs or fail to comply with the permitted parking and stopping times."