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Errors and Improvement in Traffic Safety Signs
December 20 2024
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Errors and Improvement in Traffic Safety Signs
Advancement of Traffic Culture Starts with Safety Signs
Advancing Traffic Culture: Spreading Practices and Beliefs for Safe and Efficient Movement of People and Goods.To further reduce traffic fatalities in Korea, all elements that constitute traffic culture such as laws, facilities, enforcement, and education must advance. In terms of traffic safety facilities, in particular, the proper installation and utilization of signs and road markings, Korea still lags behind advanced countries.
Instances of ambiguous or unreasonable road signs and markings remain visible in some areas.
The case in point includes installing both a STOP sign which requires a complete stop and a YIELD sign which allows going with caution together, or placing a SLOW sign in an area with a speed limit of 70 km/h.
If facilities are wrong, it becomes impossible to enforce compliance through education or monitoring. Thus, correcting improper signs and road markings is an urgent task for advancing traffic culture.
-Source of Image: “Study and Improvement in Traffic Safety facilities in Error”, Occasional Research Paper of KOTI p.11, p.21
Why Are Traffic Signs Problematic, and Why Must They Change?
1. Why don’t drivers obey STOP signs?
It is difficult to find drivers in Korea who strictly follow STOP signs.
This is because many drivers do not fully understand what a STOP sign means, and intersections managed solely with STOP signs are rare in Korea.
We often find that installation standards were not followed, or that stop signs were installed in a way that contradicts common sense, making it difficult for drivers to obey them.
Regardless of traffic conditions, drivers must stop completely at a STOP sign.
Example of STOP Sign and Driver’s License Written Exam Question
What is the correct driver’s behavior on a road with this sign?
1. Stop only if there are approaching vehicles.
2. Stop even if there are no vehicles on the road.
3. Stop only when children are crossing.
4. Stop only when the red light is on.
Note: It is a stop sign that should be placed on the right side of intersections and other necessary locations where vehicles are required to stop.
Data: KoROAD (2021).
- Source of Image: “Study and Improvement in Traffic Safety facilities in Error”, Occasional Research Paper of KOTI p.9
The correct answer of the question above is ②.
You must stop where a STOP sign is posted, regardless of whether a vehicle or person is present.STOP signs are a strict regulatory measure, so must only be installed where absolutely necessary.
2. Are more signs better?
In situations like driving, where quick decisions are crucial, too much information can be detrimental. Studies have shown that excessive information distracts drivers and increases the risk of traffic accidents.
Why are there so many signs installed?
Road authorities may install excessive signage at high-risk intersections to minimize their liability in the event of accidents.
Only essential signs should be installed, unnecessary signs must be removed, and relevant principles must be established to regulate the number of installed signs.
3. Inconsistent traffic signs rather increase incident risk
Driving is a series of judgement. Drivers shall not lose their concentration every moment. Road signs and markings must be intuitive and clear so drivers can immediately respond.
Because drivers take longer than usual to process information, if signs or road markings are inconsistent or have conflicting meanings.
Inconsistently installed signs and pavement markings increase drivers' cognitive reaction time, making them more likely to be at fault, and therefore increasing the likelihood of errors and accidents.
How should traffic signs change?
To advance traffic culture in Korea, a culture of complying with safety signs must be established by addressing the root causes of sign installation errors.
Given the time and workforce constraints in overhauling all standards of installation/management of traffic signs nationwide for the policy to comply with safety signs, there could be limitation in time and manpower, therefore the priority could be given to the realigning STOP signs that are likely to have the most significant impact at the time of the establishment and improvement in the installation standard of safety posts
To actively prevent accidents at the intersections without traffic controls, 'STOP' and 'YIELD' signs need to be expanded nationwide.
In addition, *pilot project for Sign-Controlled Intersections is necessary to verify policy effectiveness and promote awareness before a full-scale implementation in order for ‘STOP’ sign obedience to be settled as a safe traffic culture.
"Sign-Controlled Intersections" is a term re-named to describe intersections managed with signs rather than traffic signals.
* This card news is produced by modifying and supplementing centered around ‘Study and Improvement in Traffic Safety facilities in Error – Survey and Improvement in Safety Sign Posts in Error’ among occasional research papers.