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Korean Traffic, wave of the future.
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cjonlee



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 8:53 pm    Post subject: Korean Traffic, wave of the future. Reply with quote

For those of you frightened birds who don't understand nunchi and live in fear everytime you see a car, check out this article.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/21/news/profile.html

Essentially, it says things are safer when drivers are paying attention to other cars and people, instead of signs, lines, and lights.
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uberscheisse



Joined: 02 Dec 2003
Location: japan is better than korea.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

drivers pay attention to people here?
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schwa



Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Korean Traffic, wave of the future. Reply with quote

cjonlee wrote:
For those of you frightened birds who don't understand nunchi and live in fear everytime you see a car, check out this article.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/21/news/profile.html

Essentially, it says things are safer when drivers are paying attention to other cars and people, instead of signs, lines, and lights.

This is exactly right. Everyone negotiates their own right of way.

I feel much safer around Korean traffic than I do on the streets of Victoria BC where people dont so much drive their cars but their cars drive them.
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Korean Traffic, wave of the future. Reply with quote

schwa wrote:
cjonlee wrote:
For those of you frightened birds who don't understand nunchi and live in fear everytime you see a car, check out this article.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/21/news/profile.html

Essentially, it says things are safer when drivers are paying attention to other cars and people, instead of signs, lines, and lights.

This is exactly right. Everyone negotiates their own right of way.

I feel much safer around Korean traffic than I do on the streets of Victoria BC where people dont so much drive their cars but their cars drive them.


The old farts in Abbotsford are even worse.
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just because



Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can see that working here...for sure.

Can you see Koreans slowing down for each other????
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cjonlee



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

just because wrote:
I can see that working here...for sure.

Can you see Koreans slowing down for each other????


Duh, that's why there aren't that many accidents, or when there are, they are slow speed accidents, because they were SLOWING DOWN for each other !!!!! ????? !!!!! ????? 1111 //// for sure.
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weatherman



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
"This is social space, so when Grandma is coming, you stop, because that's what normal, courteous human beings do," he said


This logic doesn't apply in Korea. Grandma get the horn in the hub.

Quote:
"Essentially, what it means is a transfer of power and responsibility from the state to the individual and the community."


responsibility for one's action isn't that important in the hub.
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phaedrus



Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you put all of Canada into a space the size of Korea would there be fewer or more accidents among the Canadians than there are currently among Koreans?
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the eye



Joined: 29 Jan 2004

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 11:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Korean Traffic, wave of the future. Reply with quote

...

Last edited by the eye on Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:57 am; edited 1 time in total
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the eye



Joined: 29 Jan 2004

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:30 am    Post subject: Re: Korean Traffic, wave of the future. Reply with quote

cjonlee wrote:
Essentially, it says things are safer when drivers are paying attention to other cars and people, instead of signs, lines, and lights.


bull.
sorry i didn't read the article, but if it is a long version of your sumnation, then i call bull, not you, but what is suggested by the article.

cases:
changing lanes suddenly in heavy traffic without a signal.
cutting off another person while turning through an intersection.
flying 40-50km/h down a side street with children playing on it.

even when full attention is used in these situations, someone is gonna get smashed.
pay attention to posted signs and street lines, every one is fine.


phaedrus, that's a question i've thought about, too. i think less, much less accidents would occur. canucks are mostly timid things behind the wheel. torontonians and montrealers excepted.


Last edited by the eye on Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:56 am; edited 1 time in total
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PEIGUY



Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Location: Omokgyo

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Who has the right of way?" he asked rhetorically. "I don't care. People here have to find their own way, negotiate for themselves, use their own brains

koreans using there own brains.. that would be a first while driving.. most of them seem so shocked when your in a crosswalk and they almost hit you... makes me wonder where there head is when they're not on a cell phone Smile
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kiwiboy_nz_99



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Schwa wrote:
This is exactly right. Everyone negotiates their own right of way.

I feel much safer around Korean traffic than I do on the streets of Victoria BC where people dont so much drive their cars but their cars drive them.

Glad you feel safer here, though that feeling is not one based in any kind of reality. Korea has consistantly had either the worst or at least top 3 road safety records in the developed world for the last 15 years. However you feel, the truth is you're not safe here.
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komtengi



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cjonlee wrote:
just because wrote:
I can see that working here...for sure.

Can you see Koreans slowing down for each other????


Duh, that's why there aren't that many accidents, or when there are, they are slow speed accidents, because they were SLOWING DOWN for each other !!!!! ????? !!!!! ????? 1111 //// for sure.


Korea has a huge accident rate. thats why Koreans have to resit a driving test in Japan to get a licence. While people from other countries can get a straight transfer. Plus the reason they are slow speed is cause there is so much traffic. given the choice most Koreans would drive at excessive speeds.

personally I'd prefer a nation where alot more people drove manual cars, thus they have to concentrate just to get down the street.
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happeningthang



Joined: 26 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been driving in Korea for about a year now taking road trips every other weekend which get me to, and around the major cities like Seoul and Pusan, and locally in a small town of single lane roads.

My experience is that Koreans just have their own way of doing it - which includes a general disregard for street signs and traffic lights. Personally this is something that took a bit of getting used to, and I had a few near misses until I got into the flow of things.

But for those who doubt it they DO slow down for each other, they do wait until you've passed. Hell I've had people reverse 500 meters down winding, one lane roads coated with ice so that I could pass, and I've done the same. It's all based on using your brain and watching what the other guy is doing, and what he might do, and going with it. It all seems to be based on getting on with the driving in a pragmatic way considering the congestion, and limited space.

I've heard a lot of waegookin whinging about driving practices in Korea, but while driving around the country, and in the cities I've never seen anything to back it up. People park in places I wouldn't have even considered back home, but it has it's own logic - as long as there's a passage for traffic to drive through it's OK.

People do run red lights a lot, but in my experience is it's because it's based on a timer rather than traffic sensors so more often than not there's NO good reason to be sitting there for three minutes when you can see there's no incoming traffic. (Incidentally this reasoning actually is accepted by the police who pull you over which would NEVER happen at home).

They do beep their horns, but it seems to me that it's just to warn you that they're there so don't pull that U-turn just yet.

I haven't got any statistics to throw around because they're usually a load of shite anyway, but for me the OP's article backs up my Korean experience.

Cheers

PS

Just as a quick poll - How many of the posters here actually drive in Korea?
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Drakoi



Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Location: The World

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiwiboy_nz_99 wrote:
Schwa wrote:
This is exactly right. Everyone negotiates their own right of way.

I feel much safer around Korean traffic than I do on the streets of Victoria BC where people dont so much drive their cars but their cars drive them.

Glad you feel safer here, though that feeling is not one based in any kind of reality. Korea has consistantly had either the worst or at least top 3 road safety records in the developed world for the last 15 years. However you feel, the truth is you're not safe here.
Kiwiwboy is statistically the worst or at least one of the top three most racist posters here. The proof. When most people talk about korea they can separate what's personal experience from broad generalization. But this guy must make everything an insult. It's a proven fact, because I have the statistics.
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