‘Smartphone Addicts’ Force South Korea to Install Lights on Streets to Prevent Accidents

‘Smartphone Addicts’ Force South Korea to Install Lights on Streets to Prevent Accidents

Feb 22, 2023

Distracted walking is a term that has become part of the everyday lexicon due to the number of pedestrians who are injured in accidents (or near accidents) every year. Also known as “twalking” (for texting while walking), distracted walking can cause serious injuries – whether someone is at an intersection, walking down a flight of stairs, or even strolling along an uneven sidewalk.

South Korea Implements Lights on Streets for ‘Smartphone Addicts’

Distracted walking has become such an issue in South Korea that officials recently installed traffic lights on the streets for people who are “obsessed with their cell phones,” according to a report from the India Times.

Due to the potential for pedestrians who are glued to their screens to miss a red light or even wander into oncoming traffic unknowingly, South Korea has placed traffic lights on the ground while also providing traditional signals on poles.

The new feature on South Korea’s streets has garnered attention on TikTok.

“TikTok footage emerged on October 11 of an intersection in Seoul that shows curbs lit up with green and red lights, indicating when it’s safe to cross the road even if you’re looking down at your phone screen,” a Daily Mail report indicated.

The video reportedly shows a group of people in South Korea’s capital city – Seoul – crossing a busy road “without even looking up from their hands,” according to the Daily Mail.

Coined “smombies’” or “smartphone-obsessed zombies,” South Korean officials have taken these various proactive steps in an effort to protect the large number of distracted pedestrians. Through use of the in-ground LED traffic signal lights, South Korean officials hope to ensure greater pedestrian safety.

In fact, the issue of distracted walking is so prevalent that the nation has taken additional steps beyond the in-ground traffic lights to help prevent accidents involving pedestrians who are glued to their phones and screens.

“In March 2019, the South Korean government also implemented an alert system which sends a notification to phones if walkers are about to step into traffic,” the Daily Mail reported.

According to Kim Jong-hoon, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, the number of smartphone addicts involved in pedestrian accidents has been steadily increasing over the years.

“Increasing number of smombie accidents have occurred in pedestrian crossings, so these zombie lights are essential to prevent these pedestrian accidents,” Jong-hoon said, according to the Daily Mail.

South Korea Pedestrian Accident Statistics for 2023

South Korean officials have expressed concern over the ongoing issue of pedestrian accidents involving individuals who are distracted by screens. In terms of numbers, the following statistics were confirmed by the Daily Mail:

• Although Seoul saw a significant decrease in the amount of fatalities caused by traffic accidents in 2020 (from 247 deaths in 2019 to 218 that year), pedestrians accounted for 115 of those deaths.
• Those 115 South Korean pedestrian accident deaths in 2020 equate to more than half of the total fatalities recorded.

New California Pedestrian Law Decriminalizes Jaywalking

Although distracted walking is certainly an issue here in the Golden State, recent legislation makes it easier for pedestrians to jaywalk without the fear of incurring costly fines.

Under a new California law – Assembly Bill 2147 (AB 2147) – pedestrians are essentially able to legally cross a street outside of a designated intersection without having to worry about receiving a jaywalking citation from law enforcement.

Citations for jaywalking will no longer be issued “unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of collision with a moving vehicle or other device moving exclusively by human power,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

To read more about California’s Freedom to Walk Act, please visit our recent blog.

File Your California Pedestrian Accident Injury Claim for Damages Today

Pedestrian accidents occur constantly here in Los Angeles County. If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian through no fault of your own, you may be entitled to a cash settlement by filing your claim with Dordulian Law Group (DLG).

DLG’s pedestrian accident attorneys are dedicated to ensuring that you collect all applicable damages for your injury. Some common damages we may pursue on your behalf through your pedestrian injury civil claim include:

• Hospital and medical care expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages
• Reduced ability to earn future wages
• Diminished quality of life
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional harm/psychological trauma
• Punitive damages

DLG’s Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers have helped injured victims like you secure more than $100,000,000.00 in settlements and verdicts.

For a free and no obligation consultation regarding your pedestrian accident injury case, contact us today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM (866-467-3372). DLG was founded by Sam Dordulian, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County who has been fighting on behalf of injured victims for over 25 years and helping them obtain justice through maximum financial damages awards.

Schedule an appointment online for a free consultation today, or call us directly to speak to our top-rated, expert pedestrian accident attorneys.

There is never any upfront fee for our expert legal representation – you pay nothing until after we’ve successfully secured a maximum cash settlement fort your pedestrian accident injury.

To speak to a member of our team for a free, confidential, and no obligation consultation, contact us today.