[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] On the 19th, Naju City in Jeollanam-do announced that it has completed the installation of ‘smart crosswalks’ at seven crosswalk waiting lines within the jurisdiction, including Bitnuri Kindergarten, where pedestrian signals light up according to the traffic light system.
‘Smombie’ is a newly coined term combining smartphone and zombie, referring to people who walk while completely absorbed in their smartphones without paying attention to their surroundings.
The smart crosswalk is a signal safety system devised in response to the sharp increase in traffic accident risks due to the rise of the smombie phenomenon across all age groups, from young students to adults.
At the crosswalk waiting line and the edge of the sidewalk, red and green pedestrian signals are lit with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the ground to encourage people who are looking at their smartphones while walking to obey traffic signals.
In particular, during nighttime, drivers can recognize pedestrian signals from a distance, making it effective in preventing traffic accidents.
A city official said, “As smartphone use while walking has become routine, the risk of accidents due to inattentiveness ahead has increased. We installed ground pedestrian signals after investigating accident-prone areas with the Naju Police Station. We hope this will greatly help prevent accidents by improving the recognition of traffic signals for both pedestrians and drivers.”
Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr
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