Flexible Operation of Vehicle Speed Limits in School Zones (Children Protection Areas)
'Pedestrian Safety Smart Alert Service' in High Traffic Accident Areas
Expansion of 'Safety Screens' Installation to Prevent Illegal Filming in Public Restrooms
(Photo material) Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Province, is presiding over a safety inspection meeting for multi-use facilities within the province. [Gangwon Province]
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province is strengthening the residents' '3 Core Life Safety Projects.'
Gangwon Province announced on the 19th, "We received the highest rating of 'Excellent' in all categories in the special grant project for regional public safety and life safety demand response from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, securing 750 million KRW, the largest amount among the 18 autonomous police committees nationwide."
As a result, the 'Flexible Operation of Speed Limits in School Zones (Children Protection Areas),' which the province has been focusing on as the 'Gangwon Leading Regulatory Innovation Phase 1' since last month, has gained further momentum by securing a special grant of 400 million KRW.
This project is a policy to flexibly operate vehicle speed limits by time period in school zones, responding to criticisms that the uniform 30 km/h speed limit in school zones is an excessive regulation.
The Gangwon Autonomous Police Committee secured 150 million KRW for this project in the second supplementary budget this year and plans to conduct a three-month pilot operation at two locations (Bongui Elementary School in Chuncheon and Namgang Elementary School in Gangneung) to explore expansion plans.
The vehicle speed limit in children protection zones will be flexibly operated at 30 km/h during vulnerable traffic accident times such as school commute hours (07:00?20:00), and at 50 km/h during nighttime hours (20:00?07:00 the next day) and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
The 'Pedestrian Safety Smart Alert' is a service that uses visual and auditory smart technologies to warn drivers and pedestrians of dangers at crosswalks in accident-prone areas without traffic lights.
This project, highly evaluated as a preventive measure against pedestrian fatal accidents in the province (6 out of 10 victims are elderly), secured 100 million KRW this year and was implemented in three cities/counties (Wonju, Yeongwol, Cheorwon). Next year, target sites will be selected through a city/county competition.
The 'Installation of Safe Screens to Prevent Illegal Filming' is a project to block the open spaces at the top and bottom of partitions inside public restrooms to prevent illegal filming crimes. It will gradually expand starting from public restrooms at beaches in the province.
This year, the province installed these screens in 59 public restrooms at major beaches in Gangneung City, and next year, with the secured special grant of 150 million KRW, plans to expand installation to major beaches throughout the province.
Song Seung-cheol, Chairman of the Gangwon Autonomous Police Committee, said, "We will continue to strive to strengthen safety and public security that residents can feel in their daily lives in the era of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province."
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