"Intensive Management of Accident Risk Factors for Elderly Drivers and Pedestrians"
Support for Bus Pedal Black Boxes and Taxi Misoperation Prevention Devices
Enhanced Safety for Commercial Vehicles, Subsidies for Black Box Replacement
In the new year, Busan will strengthen safety measures for elderly drivers and pedestrians, as well as for commercial vehicles.
On December 25, the Busan city government announced that it will implement customized traffic safety measures focusing on senior citizens and commercial vehicles. These actions are aimed at creating a people-centered traffic environment that prioritizes safety.
The city will first intensively manage risk factors that lead to accidents involving elderly drivers and pedestrians. The voluntary driver's license return program for seniors will be revised, and the city will work to improve and analyze the effectiveness of measures in areas with frequent accidents involving elderly pedestrians and drivers.
The voluntary driver's license return program for seniors will be updated starting January 1 next year. The eligible age will be raised from 65 to 70, and the prepaid transportation card previously given upon license return will be replaced with the Dongbaekjeon card. Seniors who submit documents proving they are actual drivers will receive 300,000 won, while those who only return their driver's license will receive 100,000 won.
To prevent accidents involving elderly pedestrians, the city will select two traditional markets with high usage by seniors and install traffic safety facilities such as road markings on nearby back roads. In addition, the effectiveness of expanded and illuminated signs, colored guidance lines, and road marking maintenance projects installed at four locations-Yeonsan Intersection, Gamjeon Intersection, the intersection above Myeongji Underpass, and Mipo Intersection-will be analyzed over six months. Facilities proven to reduce accidents will be expanded further.
Measures to prevent accidents involving elderly transportation workers will also be implemented. Ten city buses will be equipped with pedal black boxes, and 200 corporate taxis will have devices installed to prevent pedal misoperation. The city will analyze driving behavior and accident reduction before and after the installation of these devices.
Safety management for commercial vehicles will also be strengthened. The city has improved its city bus service evaluation criteria to reflect the amount of administrative penalties imposed for driver traffic violations, with related research to be completed in the first half of next year. The city will provide about 120,000 won per vehicle to support the replacement of outdated taxi black boxes. Starting with 6,000 vehicles next year, a total of 15,000 taxis will be targeted over three years. The goal is to improve accident response, driver behavior, and passenger safety through high-resolution equipment.
Hwang Hyuncheol, Director of the Busan City Transportation Innovation Bureau, emphasized, "We are implementing customized traffic safety policies to effectively manage risk factors for accidents," adding, "We will also take care of existing traffic infrastructure and child traffic safety projects to create a city where citizens truly feel safe."
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