[Report] "Feeling Self-Conscious and Scared"...Crosswalks Too Long for the Elderly

6 to 8-Lane Crosswalks Approaching 20m
Distance Burdensome for Elderly with Limited Mobility
Bottom 25% of Elderly Pedestrians in Korea Walk at 0.545m/s
Even Brisk Walking Makes Completing Long Crosswalks Difficult

Crossing a pedestrian crosswalk on a 6 to 8-lane road is not easy for elderly people with slow walking speeds. This is because the duration of the green light is insufficient compared to the length of the crosswalk. / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] #On the 15th, a six-lane road in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. As soon as the traffic light turns green, a group of elderly people hurry their steps. The moment their feet touch the sidewalk, the traffic light immediately changes to red, and dozens of vehicles start crossing the crosswalk at lightning speed.

While crosswalks are used routinely by modern people, elderly individuals sometimes find crossing the street exhausting. Mr. Choi, in his 60s, who was on his way home after visiting a hospital early in the morning, said, "As I get older, my joints worsen and my walking slows down, but the roads just seem to get wider," adding, "Sometimes I feel anxious when crossing the street."

Some elderly people feel burdened by excessively long crosswalks. The total length of crosswalks installed on 6 to 8-lane roads approaches about 20 meters, but the green light duration is relatively short. The government plans to design crosswalks considering 'pedestrians with mobility difficulties,' who have more trouble moving than the general public.

◆Crosswalks Too Far for the Elderly

The crosswalk in Seoul visited by Asia Economy that day was located in an area dense with hospital facilities, frequently visited by elderly people. The people crossing the crosswalk were diverse. Some walked on their own two feet, some elderly used canes, and others relied on electric wheelchairs or strollers.

On the morning of the 15th, citizens crossing a crosswalk in Gangseo-gu, Seoul / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

All the elderly expressed feeling burdened by the length of the crosswalk. Mr. A, in his 70s, said, "Young people probably don't think much of it, but at this age, even small things become burdensome," sighing, "Sometimes crossing the crosswalk is scary to death. Since I move slowly, if I'm the only one crossing, I become self-conscious of others around me."

Some also said it is uncomfortable to walk across crosswalks while accompanying their elderly parents. Mr. B, in his 50s, said, "Walking alone is no problem, but every time I take my mother to the hospital, crossing the crosswalk is a big deal," adding, "She dislikes using a wheelchair, so there's no choice."

◆Green Light Duration Not Considering 'Pedestrians with Mobility Difficulties' Elderly

How difficult is it for elderly people to cross the street? According to current Road Traffic Act regulations, road lanes must be installed with a width of 3 meters each. For roads with sidewalks, a 0.5-meter boundary line is set in front of the road.

Based on these standards, the approximate distance of crosswalks that elderly people cross was estimated. A 6-lane road has lanes each 3 meters wide, totaling 18 meters. Adding the 0.5-meter boundary lines on both sides between the sidewalk and the road, the total crosswalk distance is 19 meters.

The green light duration of traffic signals is generally divided into 'pedestrian entry time' and 'crosswalk walking time.' Pedestrian entry time is the time given for a person to reach the crosswalk, uniformly set at 7 seconds. Crosswalk walking time is the time all pedestrians take to cross the crosswalk, corresponding to the blinking green light period. For this crosswalk, walking time was allocated 25 seconds, and combined with entry time (7 seconds), the total was 32 seconds.

The length of the crosswalk installed on the 6-lane road is approximately 19 meters. / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

Currently, in South Korea, the walking speed for an average adult is set at 1 m/s, and for the elderly at 0.8 m/s. Adults can cover 32 meters in 32 seconds, and elderly people 25.6 meters, so there is considerable leeway.

The problem is that this standard does not apply to all elderly people. While some elderly have no difficulty walking, many 'pedestrians with mobility difficulties' elderly have slower walking speeds due to joint or muscle problems.

According to a joint study conducted in 2018 by the Department of Geriatrics at Asan Medical Center and a KAIST research team, the walking speed of the bottom 25% of elderly women in South Korea was only 0.545 m/s. Even if they walk as fast as possible during the 32 seconds of green light, they can only cover about 17 meters.

◆Number of Elderly Pedestrians Dying in Traffic Accidents in Korea Over Three Times OECD Average

There have been cases where elderly pedestrians with mobility difficulties faced sudden changes in traffic lights while crossing. A video posted on the YouTube channel 'Man in Black Box' on the 4th shows an elderly person with mobility difficulties crossing a crosswalk when the traffic light suddenly turns red. At that time, drivers turned on their hazard lights and waited until the elderly person passed, but if a vehicle had ignored this and passed, it could have led to a serious accident.

The proportion of elderly people dying in traffic accidents while walking has been increasing every year. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 7th, the proportion of elderly among traffic accident fatalities in South Korea increased gradually from 50.5% in 2016 to 57.5% last year over the past five years.

In statistics compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 'number of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 elderly population,' South Korea ranked first overwhelmingly with 11.4 in 2018, the most recent year available. This was 3.3 higher than second-place Chile (8.1) and more than three times the average of member countries (2.9).

Given this situation, the government has prepared new road design guidelines to establish a traffic light and crosswalk system considerate of the elderly.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the 'People-Centered Road Design Guidelines Draft' for administrative notice from February to March. The core of these guidelines is to install pedestrian convenience facilities for the elderly and provide a walking environment considering vulnerable pedestrians such as wheelchair users and the visually impaired.

In particular, for the elderly, floor-level pedestrian signals and crosswalk waiting shelters will be installed, and since slow walking speeds may cause insufficient crossing time, 'median pedestrian islands' will be installed in the middle of long crosswalks.