On September 18, the KAIST Safety Team began enforcing a campus-wide intensive traffic safety campaign, primarily targeted toward electric scooter users. Students were informed of the campaign through pamphlets distributed at the entrance of the Creative Learning Building (E11) and an email sent by the 34th Undergraduate Association (KIND). The email comprised a list of electric scooter safety rules, whereas the pamphlets contained more comprehensive details, including penalties for violations of said safety rules.
The pamphlets issued by the KAIST Safety Team included six out of nine electric scooter safety rules from the official list created by the Student Affairs Team, which are wearing a safety helmet, keeping within the speed limit of 15km/hr, not riding a scooter with another person, not drunk-riding, not using one’s phone while riding a scooter, and parking only in designated parking spaces. Emphasis was made on wearing safety helmets, with officials pulling over students who did not put on their helmets while riding their scooters.
Deliberate discussions regarding electric scooter accident prevention between KIND and divisions such as the KAIST Safety Team, Student Support Team, and the Student Life Team took place on April 20, May 2, May 18 and June 13 this year. The university has recorded over 80 cases of electric scooter-related accidents per year in the last two years and reported a stark increase in accidents this year. As a result of the discussions, helmet stands were placed at E11 from last semester. KAIST also launched a joint campaign with the Daejeon Yuseong Police Station on September 21 to raise students’ interest in abiding by traffic safety rules and promote the safe use of electric scooters.
Some students found the enforcement of the campaign helpful in maintaining traffic safety on campus, while others questioned the effectiveness of a strict implementation of sanctions and penalties. Several suggestions for the improvement of KAIST’s traffic safety regulation include restricting pedestrians and cyclists or scooter drivers to their respective lanes, assigning the authorities the role of reporting rule breakers, and recording safety videos. However, a concern that remains if a stricter campaign were to be imposed is complaints from students saying that regulations are too harsh and rigid.
The Safety and Security Team and other divisions intend to develop and carry out additional projects in the future to further ensure the students’ safety. These include strengthening traffic safety regulations, preventing disruptive electric scooter parking, and addressing the issue of having unlicensed motorcycles on campus. According to KIND, the university’s intention is not to observe traffic safety based on disciplinary actions; rather, it seeks to minimize any inconvenience caused to students, induce individuals in KAIST to voluntarily follow such regulations, and achieve the ultimate goal of creating a safe campus for students, faculty, and staff in KAIST.