South Korea brings in road signs in a bid to reduce smartphone-related accidents

Vaughn Highfield June 27, 2016

Smartphones are everywhere. While their rise has brought with it many benefits to both communication and business, smartphones have also been the cause of many accidents due to pedestrians not paying attention to their surroundings. South Korea believes it has the answer: road signs.

South Korea brings in road signs in a bid to reduce smartphone-related accidents

South Korea’s capital, Seoul, thinks it can reduce pedestrian road accidents relating to smartphones by putting up some hazard signs. The signs it’s currently testing warn smartphone owners in five accident-prone areas across the city (such as City Hall, Gangnam Station and Yonsei University). The signs will also carry the notice “Warning: Be careful while using a Smartphone while walking” alongside an illustration of a smartphone user walking into a car.

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Other cities around the world have trialed measures to reduce smartphone-related accidents with Antwerp, Belgium implementing “text-walking” lanes along similar lines to China’s Chongqing text lane system. While text lanes are all well-and-good for avoiding walking into your fellow man, it’s a bit different when it comes to navigating traffic. The big trouble road signs will have is that if you’re looking down at your phone while walking, when will you look up to spot the new hazard signs?

It’s hard to imagine Seoul officials giving up on the idea anytime soon, especially as both Samsung and LG are headquartered in the city and provide a substantial amount of income to the country through their various electronic products. Perhaps a road sign that can bring a push notification to your phone so you pay attention would be the next smart step? For now, though, South Koreans can enjoy the addition of extra signs at their road crossings.