The Korea Personal Mobility Industry Association cited the results of the '2024 data-driven PM safety management system study' presented by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and Chungbuk National University, stating on the 23rd that tailored management focused on congested areas is more effective in preventing PM (personal mobility, electric scooter) accidents than a uniform speed limit.
According to the study, PM accidents tend to occur more frequently in areas with high traffic volume, and the accident rate was actually higher in areas with lower average speeds. The accident occurrence rate in the top 15% of unique traffic volume segments was about 7 times higher at 10.54% compared to lower segments. In contrast, the accident rate in areas with higher average speeds was only 1.56%, while lower areas recorded 3.35%.
The average driving speed of PMs in the surveyed areas was between 15.90 and 20.13 km/h, with most users driving below 20 km/h. Consequently, the risk factors for accidents were analyzed to be related to driving behaviors such as sudden acceleration and deceleration due to congestion rather than speed itself.
Park Pan-yeol, the executive vice president of the Korea PM Industry Association, noted that "practical measures such as structural improvements in high-risk accident areas, separating pedestrians and space, and user education are necessary," and emphasized that "policy design based on data is required rather than a uniform speed limit."