"Stop Dangerous Fixie Bicycles"...Police to Step Up Crackdowns on School Routes

Traffic Safety Measures for Children as New School Term Begins
Focused Crackdown on Unlicensed PM Use and Fixie Road Riding
Random Drunk-Driving Checks Around School Routes

The police will launch crackdowns on illegal activities around school routes, including drunk driving and unlicensed use of personal mobility devices (PM). As part of efforts to address these chronic problems, they are considering requesting investigations into PM-sharing companies and parents, and they also plan to crack down on road riding by teenagers on so-called "fixie bicycles," whose risks have recently become a subject of growing controversy.

The National Police Agency announced on the 22nd that it will implement traffic safety measures to secure children's safety in line with the start of the new school term. From the 23rd until March 17, over a period of eight weeks, the police plan to focus traffic safety guidance and law enforcement on areas with heavy child activity, with the goal of ensuring children's traffic safety.

Students are going to school at an elementary school in Seoul. The Asia Business Daily DB

First, the police will conduct random drunk-driving checks during the daytime around school routes, and will also intensively crack down on traffic law violations by two-wheeled vehicles that threaten pedestrians by riding on sidewalks or running red lights within child protection zones.

In particular, they will control unlicensed PM use by teenagers and road riding on fixie bicycles, which have been contentious issues since last year, and, depending on the seriousness of each case, will even consider requesting investigations into PM companies and parents. The stated policy is to respond proactively so that dangerous and reckless behavior by teenagers can be eradicated.

The police will also crack down on violations of the special protection rules for children's school buses. As some school buses were recently caught operating without mandatory insurance, traffic police will monitor violations by school buses operating in private academy districts during school commute hours. Within the first half of the year, a joint inspection team will be formed with relevant agencies to carry out combined inspections.

In addition, during peak commuting hours when movement is concentrated, the police will deploy officers, members of the Green Mothers Association, and exemplary drivers to carry out visible traffic safety activities. The plan is to station guardians mainly in high-risk sections, such as blind spots not covered by unmanned enforcement equipment within protection zones and crosswalks without traffic lights, to prevent accidents.

Furthermore, the police, local governments, schools, and the Green Mothers Association will form a joint inspection team to check facilities within protection zones that require repair, including road markings, protective fences, and pick-up/drop-off areas. With the cooperation of local governments, illegal parking and stopping within protection zones will be addressed on a constant basis to secure children's safety.

Kim Hoseung, Director General of the Community Safety and Traffic Bureau at the National Police Agency, said, "The safety of children is a promise that all members of society must keep," adding, "We will proactively manage risk factors to create a school commute environment where everyone can feel safe."