◀ anchor ▶
Pedestrians are regarding to cross the street because the crosswalk traffic light has changed to green, but have you ever been surprised by a vehicle turning right?
Accidents are also occurring in this regard.
So, starting last week, when making a right turn at an intersection, the law was amended so that the vehicle must stop unconditionally even if a person ‘to cross’ is standing.
Especially in children’s sanctuaries, you must stop first regardless of whether or not there are pedestrians in front of the crosswalk.
I agree with the purpose of protecting pedestrians first, but there are also reactions that it is confusing as to what to do because it is in the early stages of implementation.
So let’s take a look at what other countries are like.
Correspondent Kim Su-jin and Hyun Young-joon from Washington, USA and Tokyo, Japan will deliver the following information.
◀ Report ▶
Washington DC is the fifth busiest city in the United States following Chicago and New York.
At complex intersections, you can only turn right when the signal is on.
Signs saying “Nor Turn Red” are visible throughout the intersection.
Do not turn right at red light.
Where there is a sign prohibiting right turns at a red light, you can make a right turn when the traffic signal is green.
[경찰]
“If someone is crossing the crosswalk, they just turn right when the pedestrians are regarding halfway through.”
However, the crosswalk signal is also green at this time, so pedestrians crossing the street and vehicles turning right sometimes get entangled.
Having a separate right turn signal is actually a measure for drivers rather than pedestrians.
This is because if you turn right when there is no signal, you may collide with a vehicle going straight on from the left.
Where there is no such prohibition sign, right turns are always permitted, but in principle, you must stop at this time.
[경찰]
“If there is a ‘No Right Turn at Red Light’ sign, you have to wait until it turns green, otherwise you can stop and turn right.”
However, in reality, most drivers pass without stopping unless there is someone crossing the street.
There are very few cases of enforcement.
The solution to reducing accidents is ultimately to reduce the speed of the driver himself.
And obey the rules written next to the right-turn section of the Traffic Authority’s Driver’s Rules.
“Always yield to pedestrians.”
This is Kim Soo-jin from MBC News from Washington.
—–
In Japan, where the driver’s seat is on the right, a left turn corresponds to a right turn for us.
However, there is no specific law requiring a specific stop when making a left turn.
However, it has specifically stipulated the time to stop the vehicle in places where there is a high probability of an accident.
In Japan, at intersections with high risk of accidents, ‘tomare’ or pause signs are placed like this.
You have to stop here for more than 2 seconds, and if you are caught violating this, you will have to pay a fine of 9,000 yen and 85,000 won in Korean money.
It is a complex intersection in downtown Tokyo.
When the signal changes, left-turning cars begin to turn, and pedestrians are crossing the crosswalk.
Most vehicles stop for pedestrians, but some impatient drivers will run into pedestrians as they pass by.
[스기타 마사히사/택시기사]
“When turning left, you must also pay special attention to guardians and bicycles. There are times when you can’t see when the person crossing is coming from the left instead of coming in front.”
Left-turning vehicles are effectively subject to self-regulation.
A high school student who was going to school by bicycle was hit by a left-turning truck while crossing a crosswalk and fell in critical condition.
The 12-ton truck driver told police he “did not check enough when turning left.”
In particular, vehicles with many blind spots, such as trucks, are more prone to accidents with bicycles that are faster than pedestrians when turning left.
Korea’s right-turn regulation is ahead of Japan’s in terms of pedestrian safety.
What the U.S., Japan, and Korea all have in common is that the basic principle of reducing accidents is that drivers take responsibility for pedestrian safety.
This is Young-Jun Hyun from MBC News from Tokyo.
Video coverage: Jang-sik Lee, Jin-ho Kim (Tokyo), Lee Sang-do (Washington) / Video editing: Jeong-seop Lee
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
▷ Tel 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ KakaoTalk @mbc report