Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) announced on the 23rd that it has installed AI-based safety traffic lights in school zones near elementary schools for the first time in Gwangju.
Seogu District installed the first AI-based safety traffic light in a school zone near an elementary school in Gwangju. [Photo by Seogu District]
Seo-gu was selected for the ‘2023 Local Government Innovation Performance Expansion Support Project’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, securing a project budget of 80 million KRW, and recently installed AI traffic lights at crosswalks in front of Yudeok Elementary School, Sangmu Elementary School, Seogwang Elementary School, and Hwajeongseo Elementary School.
The safety traffic lights, equipped with video detection cameras capable of real-time recognition of vehicles and pedestrians, display messages such as ‘Vehicle Approaching’ and ‘Pedestrian Crossing’ on electronic boards and also provide voice guidance services, making it a smart safety system.
In particular, these traffic lights are evaluated to be effective in raising drivers’ safety awareness and preventing various accidents involving pedestrians, including children, thereby minimizing blind spots in school zones.
Residents have expressed through the direct text message phone ‘Baro Munja Harangkke’ of the Seo-gu Office that “Since the installation of the safety traffic lights, children can commute to and from school safely, which is reassuring from a parent’s perspective,” and have proposed expanding the installation to all elementary schools in the district.
Mayor Kim Ikang of Seo-gu said, “Despite the enforcement of the Min-sik Act, frequent traffic accidents involving children still occur in school zones, so I hope the installation of AI traffic lights will become a safety net that protects children’s lives,” adding, “We will do our best to secure budgets and implement policies for a safe Seo-gu.”
Shin Dongho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
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