The number of on-campus traffic accidents have continuously increased over time, with an increase of 59.8% in terms of the number of cases, and 51.4% in terms of injuries over the past three years. The fact that university campuses are classified as "off-road areas" and thus remain a blind spot for safety management regulations has been a major reason for this sharp increase. Campus roads are considered “private property” and lack the supervision of public management; therefore, their level of safety highly depends on the interest of the facility owner. Oftentimes, this private management is subpar at best, meaning that drivers are likely to have lower levels of compliance regarding traffic laws—such as crosswalks and speed limits—on campus roads than on public roads.

Campuses being classified as “off-road areas” also significantly affects the psychology of campus users, leading to less caution. It is more likely for both drivers and pedestrians to let their guard down on campus than on public roads. While drivers think that students will avoid them, students expect cars to avoid them since the campus is ‘their space’. Moreover, since campuses usually lack road safety equipment such as traffic lights, their safety highly depends on the caution of the users. When considered in tandem with the aforementioned fact that most pedestrians are less alert on campus roads, this becomes a deadly combination.

In June of 2024, a tragic incident occurred where a Pusan National University student in her 20s was hit by a forklift while crossing a crosswalk inside the campus. Being seriously injured, she was transported to a hospital but passed two days later. Due to the area’s classification as being “off-road,” the case was not subject to public administrative measures under the Traffic Safety Act such as the 12 gross negligence laws (12대 중과실), resulting in a lower level of criminal punishment. These laws enable the immediate revocation or suspension of the aggressor’s driver’s license; however, as campus roads are not protected under the Traffic Safety Act, such necessary punishments could not be enacted.

Thankfully, there are solutions in the works. In the case of roads in apartment complexes, another "off-road area," the roads became included in “roads within complexes,” resulting in specific safety management regulations being included in the Traffic Safety Act from 2020 onwards. Similarly, following the revision of the Traffic Safety Act in August of 2024, roads within university campuses are now also included in the scope of “roads within complexes.” These specific regulations include the need for school deans to manage campus roads and enforce traffic regulations, with failure to comply resulting in a fine of up to 10 million won. Moreover, governors and city/provincial officials are required to publicize the ‘Regional Traffic Safety Basic Plan’ and gather opinions from both residents and experts.

However, although the Traffic Safety Act has been reformed, many still have concerns that the countermeasure is insufficient to reduce the high risk of on-campus traffic accidents. Cars are still driving on risky downhill roads; cars are still parked on the side of the roads, blocking pedestrian view; and many students continue to jaywalk. Speed bumps are still much lower than the necessary height to properly function, resulting in many cars exceeding the speed limit of 30 km/h and making the roads more dangerous. Thus, to effectively reduce the risk, more explicit countermeasures must be taken: for instance, putting reflectors in places with poor visibility, and putting more effective speed control facilities on downhill roads. 

Moreover, it is crucial to provide safety education for both drivers and students, especially with regards to the new laws. Campus users should be informed about all changes so that they can issue complaints when the safety management at campus is not being executed as required. Also, students should be instructed to use crosswalks, and drivers to limit their speed—especially on slopes and curves.

Campuses have remained in the blind spot for safety regulations for many years, only recently being revised due to the tragic loss of a university student. Although it should not have taken such a traumatic event for changes to occur, now is the right time to make campuses the safe spaces they should have been, to prevent further incidents from occurring. The second part of this duology of articles will contain a deeper insight into the personal experiences and opinions of Seoul National University students on this matter, as well as a look into why SNU’s Gwanak Campus is more at risk than other college campuses.