The 'senior driver' sign has been found to have an effect in prompting consideration and yielding from other drivers on the road.
On the 11th, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority reported that approximately 7 out of 10 drivers felt they were being yielded to and considered as a result of the 'senior driver' sign being placed on vehicles driven by those aged 65 and older.
The authority launched a campaign to promote a culture of consideration for senior drivers by affixing this sign to vehicles driven by seniors in Busan last September.
As a result of the campaign, 65% of 95 senior drivers responded that 'affixing the senior driver sign helped improve driver safety.' Additionally, 93% of 96 general citizens expressed their willingness to show consideration for vehicles with the senior driver sign.
However, when asked if they would be willing to affix the sign if they themselves became senior drivers, the response was relatively low at 35%, due to concerns over the gaze of other drivers. The authority plans to devise ways to increase participation in affixing the senior driver sign in collaboration with traffic safety-related organizations in the future.
Jeong Yong-sik, the head of the authority, noted, 'We will also strive to create a safe traffic environment by promoting a customized traffic safety network for vulnerable road users across their life cycle, from children to seniors.'