Traffic accident in the school zone

Eight people were killed in 1,532 traffic accidents involving elementary school students in the school zone over the past four years.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency by Kim Byung-wook (Nam-gu, Pohang) of the National Assembly’s education committee on the 3rd, 1,532 elementary school traffic accidents occurred in the school zone over the past four years (’18~’21), killing eight people and injuring 1,589.

By year, the number increased from 348 in 2018 to 453 in 2019, but decreased to 328 in 2020 as the number of people going to and from school decreased due to the prolonged COVID-19, and increased again to 403 in 2021.

By region, ▲ Gyeonggi-do 365 cases, ▲ Seoul 256 cases, ▲ Busan 135 cases, ▲ Incheon 90 cases. The total number of accidents in school-rich Gyeonggi Province and Seoul’s child protection zones reached 40 percent.

In particular, elementary school traffic accidents in the child protection zone occurred in the order of ▲ 2nd grade (359 people), ▲ 3rd grade (310 people), ▲ 1st grade (301 people), ▲ 4th grade (239 people), ▲ 5th grade (223 people), and ▲ 6th grade (157 people).

Lawmaker Kim Byung-wook of the People’s Power said, “Children’s traffic accidents are not decreasing despite laws and institutional measures to prevent traffic accidents in school zones such as the Minsik Act,” adding, “We need to expand and continue school zone traffic prevention campaigns and traffic safety education for all citizens so that our children can go to school safely.”