A video of a unique traffic signal in South Korea appears to demonstrate that modern issues necessitate modern solutions. In addition to the pole, traffic lights are set on the ground to assist folks who are hooked to their phone screens when crossing roads.
The video, shared on Twitter by industrialist Shrinivas Dempo, shows pedestrians queuing at a zebra crossing on a busy thoroughfare in Seoul. As the traffic light shows a stop signal, red LED lights can be seen blazing on the pavement. Later, the traffic lights including those installed in the ground turn green, and commuters begin to cross the street.
“Sign of the times: Traffic signals move down to the road level at this crossing in Seoul so that people they call Smombies (smartphone obsessed zombies) can safely cross the roads while using their smartphones,” Dempo chairman wrote.
At the time of writing, the video had received over 5 lakh views on Twitter.
According to an Independent investigation, the traffic signals were first erected in 2019 as part of a trial effort to reduce the increasing frequency of accidents at pedestrian crossings. It was designed to notify pedestrians about when it is safe to cross the street while they stare at their phones. In the same year, the South Korean government implemented an alert system that sends a notification to a person’s phone if he is about to cross a road with live traffic.
Nearly 1,200 in-ground traffic lights had been placed in 25 Seoul districts by January of this year. According to an official, the supplemental lights were initially installed to alarm “smartphone zombies,” but they eventually proved effective in guaranteeing the safety of youngsters as well. According to the source, the district office intended to implement this traffic light system throughout Seoul, particularly in areas near schools.
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