Changing Traffic Conditions on Sindo Island Prompt Children’s Traffic Safety Education

In response to the sharp increase in vehicle traffic following the opening of the Sindo Peace Bridge, Ongjin-gun County (Governor Jang Jeong-min) has launched on-site education aimed at raising traffic safety awareness among children on the county’s islands.

[The Korean Today] Scene from children’s traffic safety education at Sindo Branch School © Reporter Kim Mi-hee

On Sept. 3, Ongjin County, together with the Incheon Metropolitan City branch of the Korea Road Traffic Authority, conducted an “on-site children’s traffic safety education” program for all students at Sindo Branch School of Gonghang Elementary School in Bukdo-myeon Township.

The program was designed to reflect changed local traffic conditions following the increase in vehicle movement after the opening of the Sindo Peace Bridge. With more vehicles now traveling to and from the island than before the bridge opened, the education was arranged to help children develop proper walking habits suited to the altered road environment.

The class was led by a specialized instructor and focused, at a level tailored to the children, on how to safely cross the road, traffic rules to observe while walking, precautions to take when getting on and off vehicles, and preventive measures for traffic accidents that can occur in daily life.

[The Korean Today] VR-based hands-on traffic safety training © Reporter Kim Mi-hee

In particular, hands-on traffic safety training using VR (virtual reality) devices was conducted alongside the lecture, allowing children to indirectly experience situations similar to real ones, while various everyday examples were used to deepen their understanding.

An Ongjin County official said, “It is most important for children to naturally learn and practice traffic safety rules in their daily lives,” adding, “We will continue to work with the Korea Road Traffic Authority to carry out on-site traffic safety education on an ongoing basis to help prevent traffic accidents involving children.”

Given the nature of island regions, changes in transportation infrastructure such as the opening of the Sindo Peace Bridge have a direct impact on residents’ daily lives, making this education meaningful as a proactive check on children’s safety amid the changed road environment.

[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]

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