Korean Job Discussion Forums

seoulsucker · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:58 pm Post subject: Traffic Signal Change?

Has anyone else noticed that around the city the left turn traffic lights are now appearing at the END of the traffic cycle? What I mean is that for as long as I can remember when perpendicular traffic goes red, left turn lights (where available) would then go green and when those expire the normal green light for forward traffic lights up.

I, for one, find this a bit alarming and frankly quite dangerous. Seoul is a city rife with red light runners...that's a simple fact, but in the past few weeks I've seen at least a dozen near collisions at high speeds because of the change.

Think of it this way...you're waiting to go forward, and the light goes from straight red to green. Normally if someone is running the left signal they're directly in your field of vision and you can just wait until the intersection is clear before advancing...annoying, but fairly safe and it's only coming from one direction.

Now, you have two potential high speed red runners coming from opposing angles into the middle of the intersection.

In addition, anyone blowing a forward red light is now risking a head-on collision with anyone bold enough to actually take the left turn when prompted.

Am I just so used to the old system that this one seems more dangerous? Or are there some traffic wizards at work here that know something I don't?

To me it seems like this system just puts more people at risk of high speed, high impact collisions.

andrewchon · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:22 pm Post subject:

The traffic change was announced last year, April. They are designed to be more in-line with the traffic systems of the world, so that the foreigners driving in Korea will be in a more familiar environment, you see.
There will some teething problems and growing pains, but I expect the natives will adjust soon enough.

talltony4 · Joined: 09 Aug 2004

yeah, I did notice that when I was on my bike. I was getting ready for a longish wait when the left turn arrow suddenly appeared.

It does seem a little more dangerous. But I'm used to being able to turn left on a regular green as well as left turn arrow so it's the same hazard I suppose