Traffic Safety Education and Public
Awareness Campaigns in South
Korea

ReportKi Jung KumMyongji University, Korea
Hyun Jung Chung

Transportation Research Center INCITY Co., Ltd., Korea

1Introduction

1.1

Overview
In South Korea, about 2.23 million traffic accidents have occurred over the past 10 years(2003 – 2012), resulting in approximately 64,000 fatalities and 35 million injuries. The
number of traffic accidents by year totaled about 240,000 in 2003 and approximately
223,000 in 2012, sustaining a predominantly sideways trend.

During that time, the number of automobiles increased from 14.586 million at the end of

2003 to 18.870 million in 2012—an increase of 29% in a decade. This increase is expected
to continue over some time in the future, making traffic safety a major for concern andinterest going forward.

The facts that a rise in the number of automobiles directly contributes to automobile us-age and the number of traffic accidents has remained flat over the past ten years despite
a 29% increase in the number of automobiles suggest that traffic accidents have experienced a relative decline, but the absolute numbers have remained static. This can beinterpreted as an overall improvement in traffic safety.

The cited result shows an approximate 25% reduction effect in fatalities caused by traffic
accidents over this period, from 7,212 in 2003 to 5,392 in 2012. The number of injuriescaused by traffic accidents has also decreased by 9%, from approximately 376,000 in
2003 to approximately 344,000 in 2012, which demonstrates a continual decrease.

This reduction effect can be linked to various policies, among which are continuous traffic safety services and safety devices equipped in vehicles, and are considered to have

had a direct impact on safety. While the fundamental effects of traffic safety educationand public awareness are not immediate, the long-term effects are believed to be quite
substantial.

While the situation in traffic safety has improved, the 2.4 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles
in South Korea is hardly an acceptable level when compared to fatality figures in othercountries; the United States is at 1.3, France 1.0, and Japan 0.7. These comparative results
imply that the reduction effect is not satisfactory, and further efforts are required in promoting traffic safety through various safety policies, first and foremost being education.
The effects of traffic safety education and public awareness are not easily verifiable, butthey cannot be dismissed as they are the most basic safety methods and most trustworthy
in the long term.

2
Table 1. Comparison of Traffic Accident Rates by Country (In 2011. Units: 1,000 vehicles,
individuals)

No. of vehicles

Fatalities

South
Korea

US

Japan

21,909257,515

82,839

2.4

1.3

0.7

Fatalities per
10,000 vehicles

5,392

32,885

UnitedKingdom

Germany

France34,0391,960

50,902

0.6

4,009

39,026

0.8

1.0

5,450

3,963

The main objectives of this text are to outline primary information related to traffic safety
education and public awareness implemented in South Korea and to take this opportunity
to examine effective policies that should be put forward.
1.2

History of major traffic safety policies
In South Korea, traffic safety issues were first raised in earnest as social issues in 1983,

when the fundamental law regarding traffic safety—the Traffic Safety Act—establishedthe first basic traffic safety plan. From this perspective, 1983 could be construed as theinitial phase of building various systematic advances relative to traffic safety.

The rapid increase in the number of vehicles from 1984 to 1991 led to increased fatalities

caused by traffic accidents. Statistics on traffic accidents were disclosed for the first timein 1984, and statistical collection on traffic accidents became computerized in 1988; thislaunched a period of organization that included documentation that had previously not
been collected.

In 1992, comprehensive traffic safety countermeasures were established by the Prime

Minister’s office and other organizations because the previous year, 1991, witnessed thegreatest number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents in history. Meanwhile, target

numbers for fewer fatalities were established on a road-by-road basis, and various poli-cies were implemented to achieve these goals In 1995, road driving tests were initiated indriver’s license exams, and regulations designating and enforcing child protective zones
were passed.

In 2009, the Prime Minister’s office formed the Safety Control Improvement Planning Body
to enhance the comprehensive and regulating tasks in governmental safety policies, ex-tend license revocation for drunk driving from one year to two years, and enhance safety
through measures such as requiring guardians to accompany children on buses.

2. Current situation of transportation and traffic safety in South Korea
At the end of 2012, the number of registered vehicles numbered 18.871 million, with a

total of 20.964 million including motorcycles. This is a 30% increase over ten years fromthe 14.587 million registered vehicles in 2003. Passenger vehicles comprise 74.9% of thisfigure, and increased 4.0% on average annually—a higher rate of increase than othertypes of vehicles experienced.

The number of licensed drivers was 28.263 million at the end of 2012, representing 56.5%of the population eligible for licenses. The average annual increase of licensed drivers

over the past ten years has been 2.8% since 2003, outstripping the 0.5% average annual
increase in population.

While the male and middle-aged segments of licensed drivers are saturated, many seniors

3and women are now seeking driver’s licenses. Considering these shifts in social demands,
it is reasonable to assume that future safety policies must address gender- and agespecific education.

The number of traffic safety signs, which are assumed to promote traffic safety (including
warnings, restrictions, indicators, and aids), totaled approximately 1.192 million at theend of 2012, an average annual increase of 3.7% since 2003. This figure represents a 27%
increase of signage per kilometer of road, rising from 8.8 units in 2003 to 11.2 in 2012.
The continuous increasing trend in traffic safety signage can be said to have a positiveeffect on traffic safety. Considering that there are fundamental limits to the effects thatthese signs can have, however, the appropriate limit on signage should be subject tofundamental, restrictive reconsideration.

The number of traffic lights installed reached 37,008 at the end of 2012. This is a 76% increase from the 2003 figure of 20,953, or an average of 6.5% annually. Like the situation
with traffic signs, this trend must also be examined to determine what the appropriate
number of traffic lights is in terms of safety.

However, the number of traffic accidents that occurred by the end of 2012 was 223,000,
with 5,392 fatalities and 334,000 injuries. These trends show that the number of traffic
accidents is not decreasing despite the increase in safety equipment outlined above.
Of course, considering that the number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents has

continuously decreased from 7,222 in 2002 to 5,392 in 2012, the effects are evident toa certain extent. Moreover, given the 30% increase in the number of registered vehicles

over the past ten years and the subsequent relative increase in traffic (14.587 million registered vehicles in 2003, 18.871 million registered vehicles in 2012), one could see even asustained sideways trend in the number of traffic accidents as an effect to some degree.

Figure 1. Number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents by year
The result is a decrease in the number of fatalities per 10,000 vehicles by almost half,falling from 4.6 in 2002 to 2.4 in 2012. The number of injuries per 10,000 vehicles has
also decreased by 30% from 222 in 2002 to 152 in 2012. Fatalities and injuries per

100,000 people also continue to decline from 15.2 and 730 in 2002 to 10.8 and 689 in

2012, respectively. The average number of fatalities per day has also decreased by about

25% over the same period, from 19.8 to 14.8. The numbered of injured, however, has notdecreased by much.

Although the overall effect has been a decreasing number of fatalities, etc., the numberof fatalities over the past five years has remained almost unchanged, while the number ofaccidents and injuries has been static. This suggests the need for different policies that
could lead to much greater results.

4
Table 2. Number of Traffic Accidents over Time in South Korea (Vehicles, Accidents,
People)Year

Vehicles Owned

1970

128,298

1990

3,394,803

255,303

12,325

19,766,830

226,878

5,505

2.8

20,963,999

223,656

5,392

2.5

1980

2011

2012

Fatalities

120,182

5,608

37,243

527,72920052010

No. of Traffic
Accidents

17,123,540

214,171

20,265,685

221,711

3,069

Fatalities Per
10,000 vehicles
239
106

36

6,376

3.7

5,229

2.6

Figure 2. Traffic accident mortality trends
Traffic accidents are caused by a multitude of factors, the most notable of which—driver

behavior, incidents of traffic violations, and awareness, among others—directly threaten
traffic safety in big ways. Approximately 223,000 traffic violations were reported topolice in South Korea in 2012, 56.1% (125,391) of which were categorized as unsafe driv-

ing, followed by 11.3% (25,307) traffic light violations, and 10.0% (22,275) failing to keep
safe distances. This indicates that driver awareness is the biggest issue.

71.8% of fatalities from traffic accidents (3,872) were caused by unsafe driving. The risk
(mortality rate) of this kind of violation is high, and the percentage of these violations(56.1%) relative to the percentage of resulting fatalities (71.8%) is large, underlining theriskiness of this behavior.

Table 3. Traffic Accidents by Traffic Violation (In 2012. Units: Incidents, People)

Unsafe driving

Traffic light violation

Accidents(Composition Ratio)

Fatalities(Composition Ratio)

125,391 (56.1%)

3,872 (71.8%)

223,656 (100.0%)
25,307 (11.3%)

5,395 (100.0%)389 (7.2%)

Failing to keep safe distance

22,275 (10.0%)

Crossing center line

13,018 (5.8%)445 (8.3%)

337 (0.2%)

107 (2.0%)

Intersection violation

Pedestrian protection violation

Speeding
Other

14,721 (6.6%)

7,106 (3.2%)

15,461 (6.9%)

97 (1.8%)111 (2.1%)

174 (3.2%)

197 (3.7%)

5
Details of traffic accidents occurring in 2012 show that the highest percentage of ac-

cidents involved multiple vehicles (72.6%), followed by involvement with pedestrians(22.4%). However, 40.0% of fatalities involved multiple vehicles and 36.7% pedestrians,
indicating that both are high-risk causes.

What is important to note here is that of all fatalities, 36.7% involved pedestrians. The

composition ratio of fatalities from this kind of accident is roughly three times higher thanother countries such as France (11.6%), the United States (12.1%), and Germany (14.2%).

A supposition could be made from these results that for a period, South Korean measuresprioritized automobile traffic and focused on driving ability, which in turn engendered ageneralized neglect for pedestrian safety. Thus, the country would benefit by establish-

ing policies for safety countermeasures, education, and public awareness to address thissituation.

Further analysis of accidents involving pedestrians by their circumstances reveals an

unacceptably high percentage (39.0%) of accidents involving pedestrians at crosswalks.
Meanwhile, 7.8% of accidents involved pedestrians in traffic, and 7.1% of accidents occurred while vehicles were passing pedestrians (and 41.3% were categorized as other).
50.7% of all victims that died in accidents were at crosswalks, meaning what is often

considered the safest location was actually associated with higher risk. This situation
demands attention.

Table 4. Accidents Involving Pedestrians and Composition Ratio by Type (In 2012. Units:
Accidents, People)

Crosswalk

No. of Accidents

No. of Fatalities

19,537 (39.0%)

1,003 (50.7%)

50,111 (100.0%)

In traffic

At edge of street
On sidewalk

Other3,904 (7.8%)

3,577 (7.1%)

2,399 (4.8%)

20,694 (41.3%)

1,977 (100.0%)

174 (8.8%)
94 (4.8%)

83 (4.2%)

623 (31.5%)

Categorizing accidents occurring while the pedestrian was crossing the street by time of
day shows that the numbers of accidents were split almost even between night and day,but the number of fatalities was higher at night (62.5%). This high risk indicates thatcountermeasures such as illumination are necessary, as is education about safe walking.
Since the percentage of accidents at crosswalks turns out to be quite high, it is critical tocall attention to the importance tied to crosswalks, the social meaning of traffic safety forpedestrians, and fundamental issues related to traffic safety. These items require immediate countermeasures.

Determining risk levels derived from data like the number of traffic accidents that occur

and the number of fatalities and injured not only illustrates the current situation of traffic safety but also is also useful for evaluating policies that have been implemented anddetermining what policies should be going forward. Further, comparing the number of accidents and victims in South Korea with other countries provides a comparative perspective for accurate judgment of the situation.

6
Analysis of traffic accidents by road type shows that the highest percentage of all accidents occurred on special municipality/metropolitan roads at 42.5%, followed bymunicipal roads at 30.4%, rural roads at 8.9%, and the lowest on expressways at 1.6%.

However, fatalities caused by accidents were 24.7% on special municipality/metropolitan

roads, 22.9% on municipal roads, 20.4% on general national roads, and 6.9% on expressways, where the fewest number of accidents occurred. This suggests that the impact ofcharacteristics in high-speed driving is huge.

The rate of traffic accidents per kilometer of road in addition to road type was highest

at 4.9 on special municipality/metropolitan roads and lowest at 0.9 on expressways, as
shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Rate of Traffic Accidents by Road Distance/Type (In 2012)
General National Roads
Accidents per km

1.4

Rural Roads Special Municipality/Metropolitan Roads
1.1

4.9

City/Town/
Village Roads

Expressways

1.5

0.9

The percentage of traffic accidents by vehicle type (with a base criterion was highest inpassenger vehicles at 67.6%, followed by freight vehicles at 13.0% and passenger transportation vehicles at 7.3% as of 2012. Compared to percentages in 2002(Table 6), thesefigures are higher among passenger vehicles and motorcycles and lower among freightvehicles and passenger transportation vehicles. Considering the large percentage of ac-

cidents involving passenger vehicles, the country must focus on repetitive safety educa-tion and public awareness, taking into account general characteristics, in order to reduce
traffic accidents among general drivers.

Table 6. Traffic Accidents by Vehicle Type (In 2012. Units: Accidents, %)Passenger vehicles

Transportation vehicles

Accidents

Composition Ratio

1,408

7.3

151,191

67.6

Freight vehicles

29,01113.0

Motorcycles

10,415

4.7

Special-purpose vehicles
Other
Total

999

15,632

223,656

0.4

7.0

100.0

However, the number of accidents per 10,000 vehicles of each type is highest in passenger

transportation vehicles at 166.3, followed by special-purpose vehicles at 159.6 and passenger vehicles at 103.7. The number of fatalities is extremely high in special-purpose vehicles

at 9.1, followed by passenger transportation vehicles at 4.6, and relatively low in passenger

vehicles at 1.8. These numbers suggest the need for safety countermeasures by vehicle type.
The results indicate that it is necessary to fully consider characteristics according to driverand profession, such as driving characteristics by vehicle type and driver experience, inorder to improve the usefulness of future traffic safety. This information will also provevaluable in formulating educational programs appropriate for specialized safety education and public awareness.

7
An overall decreasing trend in terms of fatalities caused by traffic accidents by age grouphas emerged with the exception of seniors, a segment where accident fatalities have been
increasing. The rapid aging of Korean society has been accompanied by an increase ofsocial activities by seniors and a greater frequency of movement compared to before. A

variety of factors can be brought to attention, such as the fact that senior perspectives onawareness and safety are different and that they rely on others for safety. With regards toconcerns about currently middle-aged drivers who will continue to drive as they become
elderly in the near future, the psychological and physical characteristics of seniors must
be included in provisions for safety education in order to advance future traffic safety
capabilities.

As society ages ever faster, social responses lag further and further behind, making thispoint the most important to observe in the future.

Recently, society has been paying more attention to issues with accidents involving senior
drivers due to aging. Despite senior drivers’ relatively long driving records and various
levels of experience, aging causes declines in body functions, awareness, reactions,

impairing sight and faculties of judgment in particular. These issues appear to be theprimary causes of the aforementioned accidents.

While safety countermeasures have been initiated in the past around the perception ofsenior drivers as protected individuals, senior drivers have become more prone to causing
accidents in recent years; awareness has spread to the point where any doubts of thishigh likelihood have been eliminated. Through changes in awareness, there is growing

acknowledgement of the need for responses such as providing sufficient and enhanced
safety education for senior drivers and limits on driving duration.

Drunk driving has a considerable and terrible impact on traffic safety. Approximately

13% of the total number of traffic accidents in South Korea in 2012 was caused by drunk

driving. This serious issue resulted in 815 fatalities that year. Recidivism rate is high, withsecond offenders accounting for 30% of crackdowns on drunk driving.

Driver awareness influences characteristics like these. In order to promote a change inthe paradigm that dismisses the seriousness of drunk driving and control drunk driving

behavior, it is necessary to publicly address the risks involved in drunk driving and implement educational policies for safety education and paradigm shifts based on acknowledgement of drunk driving as a social problem, not a personal problem.

When looking at the current situation and characteristics of traffic accidents raised above,
we see that a flat trend in the number of traffic accidents and fatalities has persisted inrecent years in South Korea. A large percentage of these traffic accidents is caused bybehaviors that drivers should know better not to do, like failing to keep a safe distance,
pointing toward a dire need for awareness and education.

The high percentage of accidents in crosswalks should not simply be a lens into traffic

safety but also a standard by which the direction of future policies are determined. The

issues surrounding senior drivers as the society at large ages rapidly have reached a point
where a change in perspective as to whom has been viewed to be the victim is critical.

These very changes in society provide an opportunity to reassess perspectives on safety.
A comprehensive view that both grasps the current situation in policies being promoted
and fully considers education is necessary. Various educational programs and publicawareness activities will also be required to help shift paradigms about drivers and pedestrians as society gets older.

83

Policy approaches to traffic safety

3.1

Continuous promotion of child protective zone improvement projects
In May 2003, the Vehicle Traffic Control Improvement Special Accounting Act was revisedand outfitted with a basis for promoting projects related to child protective zones. From
2004, the implementation of all programs related to child protective zones was shiftedfrom the National Police Agency to under the aegis of the Ministry of Security and Public
Administration.

In November 2004, the jurisdiction of designating protective zones for children, seniors,and pregnant women was shifted from the National Police Agency to local governments,

thus consolidating regional designation and control. This resulted in an increase of corre-

sponding schools from approximately 9,000 in 2008 to about 15,000 in 2012, demonstrating a high annual average rate of increase.

Table 7. Increase in Child Protective Zones Established

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Annualaverageincrease

Total Elementary
Schools

8,999

9,584

13,207

14,921

15,136
12.0%

5,526

Kindergartens

SpecialSchools

Day-careFacilities

Other

2,781

107

1,042

-

5,654

5,850

5,917

5,946
1.8%

2,602

5,476

6,766

6,735

26.8%

93

126

131

131

8.9%

778

-

1,755

2,102

2,303

31.3%

-

5

11
-

Focused control of child protective zones is occurring in tandem with this facility management. Continuous campaigns with related groups are being implemented while regional
experts give lecture tours about the social significance and risks of traffic accidents

involving children. As a result, the number of traffic accidents involving children per 100
child protective zones dropped from 5.58 in 2009 to 3.38 in 2012.
3.2

Promotion of senior traffic safety through the designation of senior protective zones
The April 2006 revision to the Road Traffic Act established a basis and system for securingsafety from hazardous situations such as traffic accidents through regulations regarding
the designation and management of senior protective zones and “regulations regarding
the designation and management of protective zones for children, seniors, and people
with disabilities.”

This revision emphasized the necessity of establishing protective zones around facilities
that seniors and people with disabilities frequented, resulting in the establishment of

566 zones total nationwide by 2012. In addition, a plan has been made in the Ministry of
Security and Public Administration to continue government sponsorship for establishing
traffic safety facilities within these zones.

Some have pointed out that because the designation of these zones often prioritizes

seniors in traffic, the actual effects of designating a location are not always substantial

depending on the circumstances of the location. Functions are often redundant because
residential areas are surrounded by many medical and leisure facilities that seniors fre-quent, as well as protective zones for children. Many have taken the position that zones

9need to be designated more efficiently and effectively in the future, taking into consideration redundancy from other designated zones.

Table 8. Trends in the Designation of Senior Protective Zones
Total Near Residential Facilities

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

97

205

265

417

566

Near Medical

Near Leisure

Near Parks

Near Community and

8

82

-

-

Facilities

7

20

25

28

40

28

40

71

104

Facilities

157

200

317

412

Exercise Facilities

-

-

-

4

-

-

1

6

To reduce traffic accidents involving and resulting in injury to children, seniors, andpeople with disabilities, who are transportation-disadvantaged outside of designatedprotective zones, the “Plan for the Designation and Management of Protective Zones forChildren, Seniors, and People with Disabilities” was enacted in January 2011. Improve-ments are now being made around these facilities for protection against traffic accidents.
At the same time, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration is supporting programs to create and distribute educational materials for safety instructors and enable
continuing safety education at a national level. Meanwhile, the Korea Transportation

Safety Authority has been focused on emphasizing the widespread use of car seats toprotect infants in traffic accidents.

Car seat usage is still low in South Korea (39%) compared to other countries (96% in Germany, 94% in the United States, 52% in Japan; Samsung Traffic Safety Research Institutematerials). Loaners and giveaways have been planned to increase usage. Similarly, it has

been deemed necessary to distribute canes with reflective materials to seniors nationwide
to prevent accidents while they are walking.
3.3

Traffic accident countermeasures for pedestrians
The largest issue in discussions of traffic accidents in South Korea is, of course, traffic

accidents involving pedestrians. Approximately 40% of the over 2,000 fatalities due totraffic accidents each year involve pedestrians.

This value is much higher than the 18.3% average value (in 2010) of the Organizationof Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and significantly higher than 11.7%

in the Netherlands, 12.1% in France, and 13.0% in the United States. The issue of traffic

safety for pedestrians is difficult to broach in the face of such extreme differences. Traffic

safety for pedestrians is a critical and central function of traffic safety and is a top priority
for government.

“Pedestrian environment development programs” promoted by the Ministry of Safety

and Public Administration in response to this issue primarily aim to secure the safety ofpedestrians through countermeasures such as eliminating uneven surfaces on sidewalks(for pedestrian safety and convenience) or even banning vehicle entry altogether.

To accomplish this, local authorities first implemented the necessary preliminary investigations through “pedestrian environment development programs” during the latter halfof 2009 and then selected locations (or zones) where pedestrian safety facilities werenecessary (4,127 in total). It came to light that 76% of these locations required new construction or extension of sidewalks and 70% of rural roads required improvements.

10
Pedestrian environments have been continuously improved, beginning with 20 projects

in 2009 based on the results from the preliminary investigations, and increasing to 44 in
2010, 52 in 2011, and 75 in 2012.

In 2013, the “line” concepts for establishing related programs targeting existing roads

were passed over in favor of “plane” concepts with the enactment of the “Law for Promotion of Pedestrian Safety and Convenience” in August 2012, which included language toenable this conceptual shift and enhanced pedestrian rights.
3.4

Improvement of points of frequent traffic accidents
Points of frequent traffic accidents are defined in South Korea as special municipality/

metropolitan roads where five or more traffic accidents involving human injury occur andother general city roads where three or more traffic accidents involving human injury

occur. Under this definition, the segment unit for an intersection is the 30-meter radiusaround and including an intersection (with intersection segments equal to 200 m), andthe segment unit for a single road is 400m.

Improvement programs for points of frequent traffic accidents are promoted jointly by the

Ministry of Security and Public Administration (managed by local authorities), the Ministryof Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Police Agency, and the Road Traffic

Authority under the aegis of the Office for Government Policy Coordination. Five stagesof improvement programs were initiated in 1988, with various relative programs implemented during each stage.

Table 9. Details of Each Improvement Program for Points of Frequent Traffic Accidents
Main Details
First point of frequent traffic accidents

All documentation for accidents that occurred in 1988 were exam-(1988 – 1995)

points underwent improvement construction over the next six years

improvement program

Second point of frequent traffic

accidents improvement program(1996 – 2001)

Third point of frequent traffic accidents
improvement program(2002 – 2006)

ined, 6,555 points were selected as hazardous, and 6,103 of theseexcluding expressways

Accidents that occurred in 1994 were examined, 7,005 points wereselected, and 4,289 of these points underwent construction

Investigation of all accidents was implemented on an annual basis
starting in 2004

Fourth point of frequent traffic accidents The opinions about points selected by safety experts and local resiimprovement program

dents were reflected in designs from the fourth stage

Fifth point of frequent traffic accidents

A shift was made from “point” concepts to “line” concepts to plan(2007 – 2011)

improvement program(2012 – 2016)

diversification starting from the fifth stage

The number of points where improvement programs were completed from 1991 to 2012
was 13,447. Analysis of these points before and after the programs showed reductions

by 27.9% in the number of traffic accidents, 43.2% in the number of fatalities caused by

accidents, and 26.3% in the number of injuries, respectively. These analyses showed that

improvement programs on points of frequent traffic accidents had a large impact on traffic safety and led to the decision to continuously implement these programs.

11
3.5

Establishment of the Traffic Safety Information Management Complex System (TMACS)
Despite the overall decreasing trend in the number of traffic accidents over the pastten years, the number of fatalities per 10,000 vehicles could still be deemed hazardous

compared to OECD nations and requires continual efforts going forward. The large-scaletraffic safety policies implemented by South Korea have not yielded much pertinent information for individuals.

TMACS was completed over the period between 2008 and 2011 pursuant to Article 52 of

the Traffic Safety Act and Article 40 of the order for its enforcement. The objective of thesystem is to provide pertinent information and improve traffic safety by sharing documentation and analysis results collected to prevent traffic accidents. Information provided by
the system includes cumulative analysis results of traffic accident documentation for themost recent three years, points of frequent traffic accidents and their year by year trends,
and overviews of each accident.

Information related to each region, year, vehicle, and violation type based on accident

indices is provided as traffic safety information analysis, while cumulative points of ac-

cidents, cumulative segments of accidents, each accident location, and thematic maps areeach provided as GIS-based information. This allows individuals to check safety infor-

mation that they are interested in by region, holds promise for promoting traffic safety

awareness and caution, forms the basis by which future policies are established region byregion, and is expected have even greater utility in the future.

Figure 3. Start page of the Traffic Safety Information Management Complex System (TMACS)

Figure 4. Example of integrated index of traffic safety by zone in Seoul provided by TMACS

12

Figure 5. Status of accidents by intersection (left) and pedestrian accidents (right) provided by TMACS
3.6

Promotion mechanism for traffic safety education
A framework primarily for overseeing related tasks is necessary to promote traffic safety

education effectively and continuously. First, Article 2 of the order of enforcement for the

Traffic Safety Act indicates that the organizations that shall oversee traffic safety duties willbe “designated government bodies” (there are 14 total), which will oversee traffic safety
education and public awareness, safety technology development, and budgets, etc.

Of the designated government bodies, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportmanages most of these roles, with involvement from the Ministry of Safety and Public

Administration and the National Police Agency. The National Transportation Committee ischaired by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and primarily comprises theheads of the 12 designated government bodies related to traffic safety duties and experts
chosen among key figures in the field of traffic safety. The committee deliberates on,organizes, and determines basic national traffic safety plans.

Article 13 of the Traffic Safety Act stipulates that the main policies related to traffic safety

by region and the deliberation of basic transportation safety plans for each region are to be

conducted by safety policy deliberation committees established in each city, town, and village.

4

Various education and public awareness activities for traffic safety in

4.1

Project for reducing traffic accident fatalities and injuries (plan to reduce

South Korea

the number of fatalities and injured people by half)This project raised awareness of the social severity of fatalities and injuries caused bytraffic accidents. The “five-year plan for reducing the number of traffic accidents by half”
was selected as one of the 100 national policy targets managed by the Prime Minister’s

office in July 2008. A “National Traffic Safety Countermeasure Deliberation Committee”
was established to deliberate and decide on a five-year plan for reducing the number offatalities and injuries caused by traffic accidents by half from 2008 to 2012, chaired by thePrime Minister with involvement by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), the Ministry of Public Administration and
Security (currently the Ministry of Security and Public Administration), and the National
Police Agency.

13This committee determined that there were practical limitations in the existing systems

and regulations related to traffic safety and reducing the number of fatalities and injuriescaused by traffic accidents by half. It recognized that different countermeasures needed

promotion. The field of traffic safety was analyzed in other countries in order to introduce

a traffic safety management system that included education on par with global standards,
and efforts were put into countermeasures specific to various causes of accidents.

Next, annual target values were established for five years, and promotion strategies were
established for each year to achieve the targets in order to reduce accidents. Details of
the related promotion projects are outlined in the Table 10 & 11.
Table 10. Main Details of 5-year Plan

Year 1, 2008
Year 2, 2009
Year 3, 2010
Year 4, 2011
Year 5, 2012

Main Policy Details

Target set for a 5-10% reduction, 65 base pillars and sub-items selected to promote overall plan, safety standards for motorcycles set

Target set for 10% reduction in traffic accidents and projects emphasizing system improvements and publicity implemented
Target set for 15 % reduction, education implemented to enhance
analysis of accident causes and motorcycle safety, speed control
residential roads in 33 locations

Organization of related laws, expansion of pedestrian safety facilities,
requirement of reporting use of motorcycles 50 cc or under, enhancement of education for drivers

Improvement of road safety equipment, establishment of “Pedestrian
Safety and Convenience Promotion Act,” improvement of 2,200 points
of frequent traffic accidents involving crossing violations, etc.

Table 11. Main Promotion Strategies through the Project for Reducing Traffic Accident
Fatalities and Injuries
Classification

Promotion Program Details

Pedestrian and public trans- Improvement of safety facilities focused on pedestrians,
portation safety
expansion of programs that prioritize walking zones,
enhancement of safety education and improvement of thelicense system for motorcycles, promotion and education/awareness enhancement of senior protective zone
improvement programs, etc.
Introduction and infrastruc- Introduction of zone 30 for speed management, introture development of adduction of a municipal road speed management system,
vanced speed management activation of road safety diagnostics, expansion of safety
equipment in points of frequent traffic accidents, etc.
Systematic establishment of Publicity for enhancement of penalties for traffic violafoundation for traffic safety tions, extension of periods after which 3+ repeat offenders of drunk driving may acquire driver’s licenses andincrease of education time, requirement for wearing rearpassenger seat belts, revision of the Act on Special Cases
Concerning Traffic Accidents, etc.
Enhancement of regional
Enactment of notification system for vehicles violating
local authority traffic safety traffic laws (through black box video), implementation
activitiesof traffic safety example cities, enhancement of parking
violation management, etc.

Improvement of emergency Advancement of traffic accident fatality and injured transmedical response system for fer system, enhancement of emergency response training
traffic accidents
for instructors to target schools, installment of systems for
emergency response training, etc.

14
Additionally, a community-government “Coordination Promotion Committee” was estab-lished to investigate progress on the promotion of the five-year plan to reduce the numberof traffic accident fatalities and injuries by half. A variety of opinions were collected fromexternal experts and the directors of ministries related to the duties of the committee,

and activities were determined to analyze onsite performance and raise the applicabilityof the data.

While the initial results of these related actions have not achieved initial target values,
they have produced a certain effect by helping reduce the number of traffic accident

fatalities by 12.6% over the past six years. The number of fatalities per 10,000 vehicles isstill high compared to OECD member nations, but there has been a decrease from 3.1 in2007 to 2.4 in 2012, and a decrease in fatalities per 100,000 people from 12.7 in 2007 to
10.8 in 2012.

There are different opinions about the evaluation of these reduced levels. Some think thatthe proliferation of automobiles and subsequent increase in traffic volume have an effectabove a certain threshold. For instance, the number of fatalities by accident per 100,000
people for children under 13 years old has greatly decreased from 2.3 in 2007 to 1.3 in2011, a level consistent with the OECD average of 1.4.

A “comprehensive traffic accident fatalities and injuries reduction countermeasure,” spanning five years (2013-2017), recently began. The countermeasure formulates five central

strategies to ingrain a traffic safety culture that prioritizes people in order to reduce thenumber of annual fatalities per 10,000 vehicles from the 2.34 figure in 2012 to 1.60 by 2017.
The first of these strategies is an education and awareness effort to require wearing

seatbelts in all seats in order to lay the roots for a traffic culture that prioritizes people. It
also includes measures to enhance crackdowns on drunk driving and other behaviors that
directly lead to traffic accidents and implement a trial “good driving mileage system” (aprogram that provides some kind of reward to drivers who have not violated any traffic
laws for one year after they agree not to).

The second strategy is to implement improvement programs targeting 210 segments offrequent traffic accidents on national roads and increase the current number of “nap andrest areas” that are intended to prevent falling asleep at the wheel on expressways from112 to 220 by 2017.

The third is to provide specialized safety education to prevent accidents involving senior
drivers, who are rapidly increasing in number as society ages. Individuals who havecompleted this education will receive discounts on automobile insurance premiums frombusinesses in the industry. This education incentive measure is expected to increasechances for senior drivers to participate in education and have an education effect onthem through awareness about their mental and physical characteristics.

The fourth strategy is an effort to introduce an “emergency automobile transmission (E-Call) system” by outfitting vehicles with devices that transmit location and damage statusof accidents that occur to fire stations, medical institutions, and police stations. Thissystem is expected to reduce response time to accidents by about 50% and reduce serious
injury by 2–10%.

The final strategy is traffic safety infrastructure development that shifts the focus of the
National Traffic Committee from existing safety equipment to traffic safety measures,
including increasing the practical use of these safety measures. The strategy will also

involve designating traffic safety leaders at local authorities in an attempt to increase thesense of responsibility for safety.

15
4.2

Improvements to traffic safety awareness through safety education
Expansion of traffic safety education has been implemented through the Road Traffic Au-

thority. Starting in 2003, high-performing speakers (910) have been selected from among
mothers affiliated with National Friends of Mothers to provide repeated instruction atkindergartens and elementary schools across the country.

This resulted in approximately 1.624 million children in kindergarten and elementary

school receiving instruction in 2008, a number that increased to approximately 2.565

million children in 2012. Further efforts to prevent accidents are continuing with more frequent education in protective measures for members of the Green Mothers Society tasked
with child safety on site.

Table 12. Number of Children in Kindergarten/Elementary School That Have Completed
Safety Education (Children/Year)ChildrenRate of increase from
2008

2008

1,624,244
1.00

2009

1,837,078
1.13

2010

1,965,072
1.21

2011

2,129,874
1.31

2012

2,565,108
1.58

Table 13. Education Activities for Green Mothers Society (People)
Instruction Staff

2008

8,804

2009

4,353

2010

3,292

2011

2012

5,589

5,681

Traffic parks for children allow them to directly participate and learn about safety while

engaging in activities. The primary educational content includes safe methods for cross-ing at crosswalks, information on where traffic accidents involving pedestrians frequently
occur, knowledge of traffic safety signs and the basic behavior they indicate, and safe
methods for riding in vehicles. The number of pupils has been increasing annually.

Table 14. Number of Pupils Educated at Children Traffic Parks (Children)
Kindergarten

Elementary School

2008

229,000
48,304

2009

228,603
22,874

2010

430,532
56,235

2011

358,169
42,1182012

306,273
22,133

Education for general drivers has also been implemented. Drivers who are cited for traffic
violations and have less than 40 points against them in the last year have been eligible

for education about traffic regulations on a voluntary basis since July 2005. The material
covers the relationship between orderly traffic and traffic accidents, traffic regulations

and safety, and so on. It has been proposed that drivers who participate in the education
be able to have 20 points against them removed once a year as an incentive.

Drivers penalized with 40 points or more have their driver’s licenses revoked, and those
who wish to have their licenses reinstated may opt for education about the dangers of
traffic violations and their relation to accidents, as well as educational material about

specific characteristics. For example, starting in June 2012, separate educational materials
emphasizing the dangers of drunk driving have been provided to drunk driving offenders.

16
Outlined below are educational materials that, in an effort to encourage a safe roadenvironment, have been created for drivers who have caused accidents or violated regulations.

Table 15. Educational Material for Traffic Offenders
Traffic Offenders

Drunk Driving
Offenders

At-Fault Drivers(4 for lecture, 1 for audio-(2 for lecture, 1 for discus-

Second-time offender: 8

exam)

Drivers With
Revoked Licenses

4 hours

First-time offender: 6 hours 6 hours

6 hours

visual)visual, 1 for discussion)counseling, 1 for audio-(1 for lecture, 3 for audio-

hourssion, 3 for audiovisual and(3 for lecture, 1 for groupvisual, 1 for presentation)(5 for lecture, 1 for audiovisual, 2 for assignments)
Three-plus-time offender:
16 hours(2 for lecture, 2 for prac-tice, 12 for psychologicalcounseling)•Traffic regulation facts•Drunk driving facts•Orderly traffic and traffic•Anticipating hazards anding recidivism•Traffic accident prevention •Personality and behavior•Basics of safe driving
safe driving, etc.

•Psychology of drunk driv•Drunk driving practicaleducation, etc.

accidents•Livelihood and traffic
regulations

and safe driving

exam

etc.

and overcoming crises, etc.

•Driving aptitude exam,•Training for self-awarenessEducation has also been implemented through a two-hour safety education program forcertain organizations or businesses as needed. In 2012, the number of individuals who received such education reached 1.426 million. The primary educational material consists oftraffic accident statistics, traffic regulations, vehicle inspection, etc., with recent subjects
including hazards of cell phone use and economical driving as required.

Educational programs in traffic accident scientific investigation are being established for

civilians (“civilians” here refers to people involved in military investigations, the Express-

way Authority, the Road Traffic Authority, national bus/taxi/freight associations, shipping
companies, and insurance agencies) who want to become traffic officers. These include

programs for traffic accident investigation processes and traffic officer road traffic management duties, local authority safety equipment and ITS processes, road traffic safety
diagnostic processes, and educational programs for driving school instructor training
processes.

17
Table 16. Specialized Educational Programs for Traffic Safety
Traffic Accident
Investigation Processes

Local Authority Safety Equipment and
ITS Processes•Scene recreation processes: 4 weeks/140 •Traffic officer road traffic management
hours
duty processes: 1 week/30 hours•Objection investigation processes: 8•Local authority safety equipment practicalweeks/280 hours
processes: 1 week/30 hours•Traffic accident investigation processes for •Local authority ITS program: 1 week/30
civilians: 1 week/30 hours
hours
Road traffic safety diagnostic processes Driving school instructor
training processes•Road traffic safety diagnostic processes: 1 •Training education: 2 days/16 hours
week/39 hours
Detailed investigations into and objective analysis of circumstances behind traffic acci-

dents are useful for future safety activities. Experts (road traffic accident appraisers) withskills in accident investigations and analysis are being trained in order to secure safety inSouth Korea.

Experts with these qualifications play a role in smooth accident processing by discerningcauses of accidents and These qualifications were operated as private sector qualifica-

tions at the beginning of 2002, but were later admitted as nationally licensed qualifications (through tests administered annually). In 2012, a total of 2,608 individuals withthese licenses were active.

Table 17. Status of Licensed Road Traffic Accident Appraisers (People)

Licensees

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

1,166

353

219

226

320

324

The number of expatriates living in South Korea has exceeded 1.4 million in recent years.

The necessary traffic safety education that conforms to international standards has been
implemented since 2008 for the expatriates living in the country. The learning audience
receiving this instruction numbered 427 in 2008 and increased to 3,502 in 2012. This

number is expected to rise in the future. However, the learning periods are still relatively

short. It has been indicated that the education effectiveness and material must reflect theannual requirements.

Further, critics have said that the requisite costs of acquiring driver’s licenses for foreigners are high, and that in the 100 police stations across the country, few instructors canteach with any fluency in other languages, making driver’s license acquisition prohibitive.
In response, education (in foreign driver’s license instruction) in the form of coursework

required for the written exam (in nine languages) and essentials of legal items (road traffic laws) and accident responses are being offered for free as a public service to ensure

greater convenience and allow expatriates to function as productive members of society.
In 2010, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration began introducing “walking

school buses” at 38 elementary schools in 16 cities and regions. That number rose to 202
in 2011 and 627 in 2012. The walking school bus is a method for organically having chil-dren learn about safety education by having walking safety leaders on site that walk withchildren to school, explaining dangerous places and situations and how to walk safely.

This education method is also being implemented in England, and has been acknowledged

18
to have a large effect in reducing traffic accidents with children by over 70%. Because theleaders know the traffic line of children, an effect on crime prevention is also expected.
The method has been evaluated positively and many parents are satisfied with it. There
are plans to expand the walking school bus as an educational policy.

Public-private sector public awareness activities have been conducted actively. The

General Insurance Association of Korea has been developing traffic safety campaigns withgovernmental agencies, speeches, and citizen groups while promoting prevention activi-

ties as traffic safety countermeasures. For example, in 2012, a program to improve driverawareness and a program related to accident prevention conforming to zone characteristics were developed in collaboration with the National Police Agency.

Programs related to education and awareness and targeted toward seniors, children, andother transportation-disadvantaged people are being implemented together with police
as safety activities. These activities include support for system improvement and con-struction for traffic safety, implementation of traffic safety campaigns and public appeal,and various awareness activities for traffic safety, and distribution of equipment required
for traffic safety activities.

Table 18. Safety Policies Implemented by General Insurance Association of Korea (With
Police)Support for improvement
and construction of traffic
safety systems
Transportation safety campaigns and public appeal

Outline•Workshops that make traffic accident processing more
efficient•Creation of traffic safety goods specific to each region•Instruction on implementing video control of intersections with chronic congestion•UCC traffic safety public appeal•Summer break traffic safety prevention campaigns

Support for safety
equipment•Support for equipment as needed

Equipment necessary for
traffic safety activities•Distribution of reflective bracelets to prevent nighttime
accidents•Distribution of reflective canes for seniors

Various awareness activities •Subway TV commercials on safe walking methods
for traffic safety•Bus commercials on traffic culture improvement•Senior traffic accident TV commercials•Creation and distribution of public appeal videos about
strict observance of stop lines

The National Assembly is collaborating with the Traffic Safety Forum on separate activi-

ties. The third National Safety Forum was held with 123 members of the National Assembly in 2012, and there have been various activities since. The forum holds discussions on

traffic safety policies and public hearings with experts, listens to public opinion concerning traffic safety laws and integrates them, and promotes safety legislation.

19
Table 19. Main Activities of the Traffic Safety Forum in the National Assembly
Policy discussions for traffic safety program planning and improvement of the systems•Third Traffic Safety Forum Policy Conference•Signage system improvement discussion to prevent secondary accidents•Presidential candidate invitation to traffic accident zero vision proclamation ceremony•Public hearing on the National Assembly’s role in traffic safety•Public hearing on new government direction on traffic safety policies
Promotion of resolutions to actualize zero traffic accidents•Assertive promotion of revision proposals to the traffic safety laws
•Securement of revenues for government and local authority traffic safety programs•Establishment of overarching structure for traffic accident duties

Motions for related proposals like new penalties for consuming DMB while driving andenhancement of drunk driving standards(Lower blood alcohol content from 0.05 to 0.03)
Revisions to the Traffic Safety Act, taken together with these forum activities, enhance
local authority roles in promoting traffic safety countermeasures. These efforts thus

foster a “zero regional traffic accident movement” in collaboration with citizen groups

to promote accident countermeasures that meet local needs. The “zero traffic accident
movement task force,” which comprises local authorities, police, and local media, hasbeen operational in 64 regions since 2007 to create opportunities for improving local

driver awareness by identifying the causes of accidents and organizing countermeasuresagainst these factors.

In recent years, the heavy snow and rainfall caused by sudden changes in developing
weather situations have been causing more traffic accidents.

To reduce traffic accidents caused by worsening conditions in the natural environment,
the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport, and the National Policy Agency distributed brochures featuring safety driving

tips to local authorities and developed activities related to vehicle maintenance and safe
driving to raise public awareness of the impact that worsening weather has on traffic
safety in the winter.

The General Insurance Association of Korea has implemented “property insurance

industry personnel traffic safety campaigns” as part of their proactive participation in
the government’s “project for reducing traffic accident fatalities and injuries by half.”

In 2012, the organizing committee of the “Yeosu Expo” seized the opportunity to createtransportation culture and implemented a campaign to improve the country’s image
through traffic safety.

Campaigns implemented on expressways to prevent large traffic accidents during hightraffic volume periods like New Year’s, Chuseok (The Korean Thanksgiving Day), holidays,
and summer go together with various activities to spread awareness of the correlations
between the risks of watching audiovisual DMB while driving and accidents, as well as
the social issues of drunk driving, in hopes of eliminating these behaviors.
4.3

Diversification of safety information for drivers using smartphones
There have been many issues springing from sudden changes in weather conditions inSouth Korea. One such issue has been the abnormal impact of localized heavy rain, snow,
and cold weather, which obviously make it very difficult to drive. Drivers need to knowthat these sudden changes in weather pose risks and may cause traffic accidents.

20
The impact of weather conditions on traffic accidents is large, and social interest in the

topic is currently increasing. The need for and social value of receiving timely and accurate weather condition notifications is growing in importance.

At the same time, the number of smartphones, which many drivers own, has been rapid

increasing annually, surpassing the number of vehicles on the road (30 million) to saturate
nearly 70% of the population. At this rate, nearly the entire population will own smartphones before long.

Smartphones are demonstrating growing value as a social service media and means toprovide prompt safety information that allows drivers and pedestrians to assess adverse
effects on the traffic environment caused by rapid weather changes and reduces theirimpact.

The Korea Meteorological Administration is developing Weavigation (a portmanteau of

weather and navigation) that integrates navigation systems for vehicles and weather status to provide the timely information that drivers need. A futuristic weather service fromthe Korea Meteorological Administration, Weavigation aims to bolster the basic weather
information that the agency has traditionally provided through some navigation systems

in order to provide location-aware weather information for the route being traveled, give
people details on their destinations, and provide drivers crucial warnings of risks on theroute to enhance safety.

As society begins to recognize the impact of weather conditions on traffic safety, therelationship between weather conditions and traffic accidents is drawing more atten-

tion. According to a 2011 presentation by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime
Affairs, mortality rates in traffic accidents that occur during foggy conditions are threetimes higher than normal, and bad weather conditions account for a 2% increase in traffic
accidents.

The system uses TPEG (Transport Protocol Expert Group) through existing onboard

navigation devices to merge weather conditions on travel routes with information on thedestination. The system holds significant promise for preventing traffic accidents.

Figure 6. Example of information provided by Weavigation (from edaily.co.kr press news)
Additionally, a “weather call center (113)” provides basic information (in English as well)on weather conditions in the directions vehicles are traveling. For roads that pose a highrisk of traffic accidents due to winter snow, cold weather, or the slope of the road (with
26 segments currently designated), the center provides 12-hour snowfall conditions,temperature, and sky conditions via smartphones to warn drivers.

21
4.4

Traffic safety education and development activities by related institutions
Because the cognitive and sensory faculties required for driving decline in seniors, thelikelihood that they will be involved in traffic accidents increases. This issue has been agrowing interest in society.

Despite this interest, the reality is that timely educational opportunities for seniors arefew, as are their chances to participate in such activities.

In the meantime, the National Police Agency and the Financial Supervisory Service haveestablished an “aging traffic safety education” process that ties educational opportuni-

ties together with automobile insurance premiums. This discount system, whereby seniors
receive discounts if they take the education program, began in August 2013.

Provided by the Road Traffic Authority once per month, “aging traffic safety education”
consists of a self-awareness exam and a driving tendency exam and focuses on traffic

laws and safe driving methods. It also makes sufficient considerations for the age characteristics of seniors, such as a distance perception exam, continuous attention exam,

ability to divide attention exam, and visual exam. The education is free, and the seniors
are evaluated upon completion. They receive a discount (valid for two years) on theirinsurance premium if they score above a certain level.

The Korean Association for Safety Communities (www.safia.org) distributes materials

related to traffic safety education and safety through individual applications in order toreduce the annually rising number of traffic accidents involving seniors. The costs of thisprogram are shared with the General Insurance Association of Korea. In addition, traffic
safety bulletin boards are being created and distributed at civic local authority centersestablished in every town in order to prevent the rising number of traffic safety issues

involving seniors. Police officers also visit these civic local authority centers directly toprovide education to seniors.

The National Policy Agency and Educational Broadcasting Station (EBS) use cartoons,

which are popular with children, to hold children’s attention (as part of the child traffic
safety social contribution project) and improve the efficacy of traffic safety education

for children. They also create educational materials on behavioral guidelines for various

situations that might occur on general roads in this environment (spending 5–6 minutes
on one theme, with 26 themes currently available and plans to continually add more)and distribute them to families in CD format to create an educational environment. The

cartoons also run on TV and the Internet to provide a usage environment where children
can access them anytime.

This educational initiative is regarded as practical and very effective, as the environment(CDs, TV, Internet, and smartphones) is easy to use, it is popular, and the content includes
various real-world situations.

22

Figure 7. Website main page on the Internet

Figure 8. Example of scene regarding crosswalk safety, distributed CD (right)
The “Korea Child Safety Foundation” (www.childsafe.or.kr) runs a certification system fortransport safety education, provides general traffic safety educational programs six times
a year, and provides vehicle safety education programs five times a year.

The foundation sponsors programs related to safety education and culture and programsfor research development regarding safety. Since 2004, it has also been providing mobile

educational opportunities using educational buses in regions and situations where educational opportunities are scarce.

Smartphones continue to become increasingly prevalent, with statistics showing thatabout 70% of all citizens own one. “Cyber Traffic School” provides various traffic safety
educational materials through a smartphone app to reflect this new environment.

This educational app uses “classrooms” arranged by age: children, teenagers, generaldrivers, and seniors. For example, the seniors classroom provides physical age self-diag-nostics for drivers, physical age self-diagnostics for pedestrians, calisthenics for driving,and literature on traffic safety.

The classroom for elementary school children features videos promoting the understand-ing of traffic safety situations and bundles together movies, literature, and simple games

on traffic safety. Once the children have learned the content in these materials, they takea simple test (entering their names, locations, grades, and birthdays) and get a virtual
certificate if they pass.

This series not only provides direct, personalized education but also allows for indirect

and far-reaching traffic safety education; by going from one-sided education to interac-

tive education using a test, it is effective and economical. Education materials for driving

safely in the country are available in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and the content also
covers domestic traffic information and traffic culture.

23

Figure 9. Cyber Traffic School educational content and related mobile app (start screen)
At traffic training parks in 13 locations in South Korea, vehicle users learn about how toprotect children from a safety perspective. The scope of this education extends beyond
general drivers to shipping company drivers, as well.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family performs investigations for potential onsite
risks around elementary schools according to standardized methods and then createsand distributes maps with safe routes around the schools using creation criteria for the
purpose of education-based traffic safety.
4.5

Safety education for commercial drivers
Individuals who will be driving commercial vehicles must complete at least 20 hours ofsafety education before driving. The primary educational content focuses on relevantlaws and traffic safety as well as emergency equipment usage methods.

Safety education for top managers has also been in place since 2001, when the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure and Transport determined that it would be best to improve managerial understanding and awareness of safety in order to reduce traffic safety accidents
attributable to commercial vehicles.

In order to promote attendance by top managers and change awareness of this education,
the name was changed to “Shipping Industry CEO Forum.” The educational methods werealso broken up from one national, consolidated educational format to regional, separate
formats to allow for area-specific education.

In 2012, the new format gave the majority of top managers from 881 participating companies an opportunity to reconsider the importance of traffic safety. This effort had tremen-dous effects, reducing accident fatalities at participating companies by roughly 50% fromthe previous year.

Table 20. Change in traffic accidents involving companies participating in the Shipping
Industry CEO Forum

2011

2012

Number of Accidents

Number of Fatalities

11,175

254

9,296

133

Number of Serious
Injuries

15,827

13,979

24
The Korea Transportation Safety Authority operates the “Traffic Safety Leader Academy”
annually for traffic safety leaders of shipping companies to prevent traffic accidents

involving commercial vehicles. The education was implemented for shipping company

leader education until 2009, but the name was changed to Traffic Safety Leader Academy
in 2010.

It was deemed to have made a large contribution to traffic safety for leaders to prevent

onsite traffic accidents. It is expected to continue in the future. The number of participating staff in the education was 1,749 in 2012.

The Traffic Safety Education Center is a facility that was completed in December 2008
primarily for commercial drivers. The center has size of 302,801 square meters and isreplete with accommodations for multi-day education. The center centers its educa-

tional activities on experiencing hazardous circumstances that are highly likely in traffic

accidents. There is a general course, a free training course, a high-speed course, and an
obstacle course for gaining practical experience in order to increase response skills forvarious situations.

Established in 2009 under Article 56 of the Traffic Safety Act (the establishment of re-search/educational facilities for traffic safety experience, etc.), the center has welcomed
45,000 educational participants as of 2012. The educational effect of the center has

been quite significant, evidenced by the 49% reduction in the number of traffic accidents
the year after 21,411 participants received education. The social value of this effect issubstantial.

5

Conclusion
Transportation safety in South Korea may have improved vastly, but comparisons withother countries suggest that what happens in South Korea in the future is the key. Whilethe number of fatalities from traffic accidents has been decreasing, one issue is it has notdecreased any lower in recent years.

Rapid aging, a major change in the social environment, has precipitated a growing

population of senior drivers. While seniors have until now traditionally been consideredvictims, society is now starting to see them as being at fault.

However, the ratio of senior pedestrians involved in all accidents remains higher than

before. The elderly will surely be the subjects of diverse opinions in the coming years.

Recently, the number of traffic accidents involving women drivers is increasing, whichmakes it necessary to pay attention to both demographics with concern and interest in
the future.

As these changes in the social environment continue, policies have been implemented tobuild and improve safety facilities in order to ensure traffic safety. However, the sustained
flat trend in the number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents in recent years suggeststhat there is a limit to these effects.

Therefore, education on and public awareness of the essential behaviors that drivers andpedestrians should take in a variety of situations are policies that likely have stabilizing

short-, medium-, and long-term results. The education and public awareness campaigns

that South Korea has conducted have been transmitted in a one-way fashion in the formof knowledge and content highly related to traffic safety. However, changes in the social

environment—the rapid change in the usage of CD, TV, Internet, and smartphones—will
make video media such as cartoons and apps going forward.

25
These media are always connected; through their use, ideas are very likely to stick in theminds of elementary school-aged children. In the long term, there are many reasons for
related institutions that must implement traffic safety education and development to

pay attention to these media. The strength of their transmission is thought to be a validmeans to do this.

These media with strong transmission characteristics are expected to play a main role infuture policies for traffic safety education and public awareness. Conveying video-based,
realistic scenes can have a major effect on education. South Korea is in a stage of transition from existing educational methods to very accessible media in online settings andstrong transmission through video-based cartoons and apps.

It is crucial to make future education and public awareness as grounded in reality as possible and make sure that the material gets through to the intended recipients. It is impor-tant to increase educational opportunities as much as possible. From this perspective, theprocess of maximizing educational effects must account for not only the educational andawareness content but also the psychological characteristics of the learner, as well.

Related institutions implementing traffic safety education and public awareness are

numerous due to their need, but there may also be some redundancies. There may also besome differences in the educational content depending on the state of the organizationin question, so there may be consistency issues. Therefore, future traffic safety education
should be proposed from a comprehensive perspective and, based on this, consistencyin educational content should be maintained within a certain range. Adjustments may berequired from the perspective of the functions they share to effectively fulfill their roles.

References1.		

2013 traffic safety annual report, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 2013.8

2.		

Comparative research on road traffic safety policies, Korea Transport Institute, 2012

3.		

Traffic safety reformation bill for enhancing national competitiveness, Korea Transport Institute, 2012

4.		

The laws related to the content above

26

Author Profile
Ki Jung Kum
Professor, Transportation Engineering, Myongji University
Born in Seoul in 1961, Ki Jung Kum graduated from the Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School of Civil Engineering and received

his PhD in civil engineering in 1993. Before taking his current positionin 1994, he worked as a researcher at the Seoul Institute. He is a member of the Korean Society of Transportation, a member of the Korean
Society of Civil Engineers, and vice-chairman of the Korean Societyof Road Engineers. He also serves on committees for the Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), local government, theSeoul Regional Construction Management Administration, the National
Police Agency, and the Korea Expressway Corporation in the fields oftransportation policies, design, and planning.

Hyun Jung Chung
Director of Research, Transportation Research Center, INCITY Co., Ltd.
Born in Seoul in 1974, Chung graduated from the Saitama University

Graduate School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2002. After
working for the Seoul Metropolitan Government in the Department ofTransportation from 2002 through 2007, she worked as a professional
engineer of transportation at an engineering company and later re-ceived her PhD in transportation engineering from Myongji University
in 2013. Chung is now the Director of Research at the INCITY Co., Ltd.

Transportation Research Center and a member of the Korean Society ofTransportation, the Korean Society of Road Engineers, and the Korea
Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems.