Gov't to reduce urban speed limit to 50 kph this year

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will drop the speed limit for certain
city streets to 50 kilometers per hour this year as part of a plan to help
relieve traffic jams and prevent automobile accidents, a presidential council
said Wednesday.

The move comes under a plan to reform the country's traffic system that will also
increase the number of crossroads where "unprotected" left-turns are allowed,
according to the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness.
"Our traffic system falls far behind those of advanced countries as we are faced
with chronic traffic jams, large numbers of accidents and daily traffic
violations," the committee said in a press release.
The committee said reducing traffic congestion and accidents could help save over
25 trillion won (US$18 billion) a year in energy and other traffic related costs.
From 2011, left-turn signals at all intersections will appear only after traffic
crossing the other way has passed, while unprotected turns will be allowed on
some streets with less than two lanes in Seoul and three lanes in other parts of
the country.
The measures will help reduce the average amount of time needed to cross
intersections from 180 seconds to about 130 seconds, according to Hwang
Chang-seon, an official at the National Police Agency.
Reduced traffic congestion will also help reduce greenhouse gas emission by
passenger vehicles, which currently account for nearly 80 percent of emissions by
all means of transportation, the presidential committee said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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