[Report] "Halfway across and the light turns red... Crossing with life at risk" Elderly Fearful of Crosswalks (Comprehensive)

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Signal Flickering While Pulling Cart...Tense Moments
Number of Elderly Traffic Accident Deaths Exceeds OECD Average by 3 Times

On the 16th, an elderly person pulling a cart stopped at a crosswalk near Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. As the traffic light's green signal was about to change, a man nearby approached to help the elderly person. / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] "Do you feel the green light at the traffic signal is too short? I cross the street risking my life every day."

Mr. A, in his 70s, whom we met at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, expressed his frustration in an agitated voice. He makes a living collecting boxes near Tapgol Park and complained that he has narrowly escaped being hit by cars more than once while crossing the crosswalk. Mr. A said, "The green light time at the traffic signal is never long enough for us elderly," and lamented, "Cars at the crosswalk have never once waited for me."

There are concerns that the pedestrian signal time at traffic lights is excessively short compared to the walking speed of elderly people. The situation is even more serious for 'pedestrian vulnerable groups' who have mobility difficulties compared to the general public, or elderly people pushing carts or strollers. According to traffic authorities' investigations, more than half of the traffic accident fatalities in Korea are elderly. This is why there are worries that crosswalks, the most basic means of passage for pedestrians, are becoming a threat to the elderly.

◆"My legs hurt and I get out of breath" Elderly people feeling burdened by crosswalks

Tapgol Park, where we met Mr. A, is a place where people aged 65 and older frequently gather, and the park is surrounded by wide roads with 6 to 8 lanes. When Asia Economy visited the area near the park on the 16th, elderly people were crossing a long crosswalk to enter and exit the park.

The walking methods and speeds of the elderly varied. Some walked quickly on two feet, while others walked a bit slower using canes. Some pushed strollers or relied on electric wheelchairs. Some elderly people crossed the crosswalk pulling carts filled with miscellaneous items like boxes and bottles.

There were tense moments where the walking speed was slower than the pedestrian signal time. On that day, a man pulling a cart across the crosswalk opposite the park stopped briefly in the middle of the road, making a sound like "Uh-oh," possibly because walking became difficult. The green light, which started at 25 seconds, was down to about 10 seconds left. Thanks to another man walking behind who helped push the cart, the two barely managed to step onto the sidewalk in time. Without that help, the elderly man pulling the cart could have been in serious trouble.

A crosswalk installed on a six-lane road in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Juhyung Lim skepped@

The elderly complain that the green light duration is too short compared to their walking speed. Another elderly person, Mr. B, who pulls a cart, said, "Narrow roads are not a problem. But crosswalks on main roads make my legs hurt and I get out of breath every time I cross," adding, "Crosswalks with rest areas (median pedestrian islands) in the middle of the road are somewhat safer, but I hardly see such places."

Mr. C, in his 70s, who has difficulty moving due to chronic joint pain in his legs, said, "The crosswalk time is too short. Even when I wait on the sidewalk and then cross, the light often turns red while I'm still walking," and expressed frustration, "I feel unfair when drivers glare at me even though I haven't done anything wrong."

◆Bottom 25% of elderly walking speed in Korea much lower than international standards

Those raising concerns about signal duration are not only elderly people. According to a 2018 joint study by the Geriatrics Department of Seoul Asan Medical Center and KAIST research team, the walking speed of the bottom 25% of elderly Koreans was 0.663 m/s for men and even slower at 0.545 m/s for women.

The current international standard for walking speed is set at 1 m/s for adults, with slow walking speed assumed to be 0.8 m/s. The green light duration at traffic signals is also based on this speed. However, given the characteristics of the elderly, many of whom have mobility difficulties due to joint and muscle problems, this speed does not reflect reality. Especially for the bottom 25% of elderly women in Korea, even if they walk without missing a single second, it is difficult to cross domestic crosswalks within the allotted time.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the proportion of elderly people among traffic accident fatalities in South Korea was 57.5% last year, accounting for more than half. / Photo by Yonhap News

The proportion of elderly people dying in traffic accidents while walking is 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 Korea rose steadily over the past five years, from 50.5% in 2016 to 57.5% last year.

In statistics compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 'pedestrian deaths per 100,000 elderly population,' Korea's elderly death rate is overwhelmingly high. According to the most recent data from 2018, Korea recorded 11.4 deaths per 100,000 elderly people, ranking first. This is 3.3 more than Chile, which ranked second with 8.1, and more than three times the member country average of 2.9.

◆Government to establish 'people-centered road' design guidelines considering elderly

The government plans to reduce elderly traffic accidents by newly establishing traffic signal and crosswalk systems that consider the elderly and pedestrian vulnerable groups.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a draft of the 'People-Centered Road Design Guidelines' for administrative notice from February to March. According to these guidelines, newly installed crosswalks must provide pedestrian convenience facilities for the elderly.

Specific facilities include △floor-level pedestrian signals with enhanced visibility △waiting rest areas at crosswalks △and 'median pedestrian islands' installed in the middle of crosswalks where crossing time is insufficient.

Additionally, urban roads will be encouraged to be designed with speed limits of 50 km/h or less, and to reduce traffic accidents, traffic calming facilities such as zigzag roads and raised crosswalks can be installed according to speed.