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Busan Metropolitan City to Enhance Traffic Safety for Seniors and Commercial Vehicles Through Tailored Measures

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will implement a range of new initiatives as part of a “tailored safety measures” plan that focuses on strengthening safety management for seniors and commercial vehicles, in order to create a people-centered traffic safety environment where safety comes first.

First, to “intensively manage factors contributing to accidents involving elderly drivers and pedestrians,” the city will: ▲ improve the voluntary driver’s license surrender program for seniors ▲ improve high-accident areas involving elderly pedestrians ▲ analyze the effects of improvements made to high-accident areas involving elderly drivers.

Improving the voluntary driver’s license surrender program for seniors

To enhance the effectiveness of the preferential program for voluntary driver’s license surrender by seniors, which has been in operation since 2018, and to focus support on older senior groups with higher accident and fatality rates, the city will ▲ raise the eligible age from 65 and older to 70 and older. In addition, ▲ the prepaid transportation card previously provided upon license surrender will be replaced with Dongbaekjeon (policy support funds) to help revitalize the local economy. ▲ The amount of support will be differentiated: 300,000 won will be provided when applicants submit documents proving they are active drivers (such as a car insurance subscription certificate or vehicle registration), while 100,000 won will be provided when applicants surrender only their driver’s license as before. The improved voluntary driver’s license surrender program for seniors will take effect on January 1, 2026.

• ●Surrender and inquiries: the administrative welfare center or police station with jurisdiction over the address on the resident registration

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Improving high-accident areas involving elderly pedestrians

The city will select two traditional markets frequently visited by seniors and install traffic safety facilities—such as road surface markings that prompt drivers and pedestrians to be alert—on nearby back roads, in order to manage accident risks.

Analyzing the effects of improvements made to high-accident areas involving elderly drivers

The city will monitor, for six months, the effects of measures implemented this year at four locations*—including Yeonsan Intersection—such as expanded and illuminated signs, colored guide lines, and improved road surface markings, which were installed to enhance visibility for elderly drivers. Facilities proven highly effective in reducing accidents will be expanded and installed more widely.

• ●Yeonsan Intersection, Gamjeon Intersection, Myeongji Underpass Overpass Intersection, Mipo Intersection

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To “prevent accidents involving elderly commercial transport workers,” the city will implement: ▲ installation of pedal black boxes on city buses ▲ installation of pedal misapplication prevention devices in taxis.

To manage the risk of sudden unintended acceleration accidents, the city will ▲ install pedal black boxes in 10 city buses and ▲ install pedal misapplication prevention devices in 200 corporate taxis, and will analyze changes in driving behavior and accident reduction effects before and after introducing the devices.

To “strengthen safety for commercial vehicles,” the city will implement: ▲ improvements to city bus service evaluation items ▲ support for taxi dashcam replacement costs ▲ support for safety supplies for freight vehicles.

To ensure residents can use city buses safely and comfortably, Busan Metropolitan City has newly established a detailed item—“amount of administrative penalties for drivers’ traffic law violations”—in the city bus service evaluation as of this October. The “city bus service evaluation research service” is scheduled to be completed in the first half of next year.

To replace aging taxi dashcams, the city will support approximately 120,000 won per vehicle, equivalent to 50%, starting with 6,000 taxis next year and expanding to a total of 15,000 taxis over three years. By utilizing high-resolution products, the city aims to enable prompt evidence collection in the event of accidents, improve driver behavior, and enhance passenger safety.

Hwang Hyun-cheol, Director General of the Transportation Innovation Bureau, stated, “In order to effectively manage risk factors that may lead to accidents, we will not only newly implement tailored traffic safety policies, but also continue to devote ourselves to existing traffic infrastructure projects and child traffic safety programs, to make Busan a global citizen safety city.” He added, “We ask for residents’ active participation in establishing traffic safety.”