190,000 Pedestrian Traffic Accidents in the Last 5 Years
Accidents Caused by PM Increased 9-Fold
Protective Fences and Other Measures Needed
Pedestrian safety is being threatened as incidents such as vehicles rushing onto sidewalks and collisions with electric kickboards continue to occur. Last month, nine pedestrians were killed and five injured in the 'City Hall Station wrong-way driving accident' in Jung-gu, Seoul. Since then, traffic accidents involving vehicles invading sidewalks have been nonstop across the country, including in Gyeonggi and Busan.
On the night of the 1st, near Seoul City Hall, a passenger car drove the wrong way through an intersection and struck pedestrians, resulting in 9 deaths. On the morning of the 2nd, someone placed chrysanthemums at the accident site and posted a note of condolence. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@
Citizens are expressing anxiety over the repeated accidents. Mr. Han (58) said, "These kinds of accidents have been happening so frequently lately that I can't walk around with peace of mind," adding, "It's worrisome because you can't avoid or prevent vehicles suddenly coming onto the sidewalk." Mr. Kim (31), who runs a cafe near a main road, also shared, "I heard that a vehicle rushed into a cafe in broad daylight just a few days ago," and said, "It's terrifying to think such a thing could happen at my cafe too, but there are no proper countermeasures, so I'm worried."
According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, pedestrian traffic accidents totaled 193,883 cases over the past five years (2019?2023). The number decreased around the COVID-19 period after being in the 30,000 range in 2019 but is now on the rise again. The number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries over the five years were 43,131 and 196,127, respectively.
Seven out of ten pedestrian traffic accidents were caused by passenger cars and vans. According to the 'Pedestrian Traffic Accident Statistics by Vehicle Type' obtained by Asia Economy through an information disclosure request, 137,360 accidents in the past five years were caused by passenger cars and vans. This was followed by 23,327 cases involving trucks and 14,043 involving motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles.
In response, local governments are promoting the introduction of vehicle protective fences to safeguard pedestrians. A Seoul city official explained, "Most of the fences installed in Seoul are for pedestrians and are intended to prevent jaywalking, so they offer little protection if a vehicle comes and collides with them," adding, "We plan to identify dangerous spots such as intersections and install preventive devices like vehicle protective fences."
In addition to vehicles, pedestrian traffic accidents caused by personal mobility devices (PM), such as electric kickboards, have surged about ninefold in five years. Pedestrian accidents involving PMs, which were only 125 cases in 2019, increased to 1,088 last year. In June, a 60-year-old elderly couple taking a walk in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, was hit by an electric kickboard ridden by two high school students, resulting in the wife’s death.
Mr. Choi (29) said, "I've almost collided with electric kickboards more than once while walking, so I feel uneasy," adding, "Since they suddenly appear from behind, I now take out my earphones so I can hear and avoid them." Although riding PMs on sidewalks is illegal under the Road Traffic Act, it is rare for riders to comply with road riding rules in reality. Wearing safety gear such as helmets is mandatory, but enforcement and provision are insufficient, leading to many cases where drivers are seriously injured in accidents. Due to the ongoing accidents, the government lowered the speed limit for PMs from 25 km/h to 20 km/h starting last month.
Experts analyze that realistic measures considering South Korea’s traffic environment are urgently needed. Professor Lee Dong-min of the Department of Transportation Engineering at the University of Seoul said, "The policy direction to prevent electric kickboards from riding on sidewalks is correct, but creating an environment where they can ride on roads is a priority," adding, "For a fundamental solution, the speed of vehicles and PMs in urban areas must be reduced."
Professor Choi Jae-won of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "Vehicle protective fences are effective but expensive, and in Seoul, there are many underground wires and gas pipes to consider," adding, "Especially if the safety rating of the fences is excessively high, drivers could suffer fatal injuries, so various conditions need to be reflected." He also added, "Sixty percent of pedestrian traffic fatality victims are elderly," emphasizing, "Pedestrian protection policies for those aged 65 and older, such as elderly protection zones, should also be established."
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