The current Act stipulates that the protection areas for children are to be designated among the facilities primarily used by children such as childcare centers, elementary schools, and private teaching institutes.  Therefore, the protection area for children is in general designated to be located within 300 meters from the main entrance to the facility, but it is difficult to say that this alone fully ensures the traffic safety of children. 

In addition, the current Act and the enforcement of the “Act on the Aggravated Punishment, Etc. of Specific Crimes (so-called “Minsik Act”) impose aggravated severe punishment on those who injure a child in breach of their duties to comply with the measures within protection areas and to drive while paying attention to the safety of children, where an accident occurs within the protection area for children. However, on the contrary, there are not enough tools in place to alert the drivers. 

Accordingly, in the designation of protection areas for children, the Act aims to secure the traffic safety of children in an effective manner by allowing certain sections used by a large number of children to commute to and from the facility in addition to the facility itself, and prioritizing the installation of safety signs or facilities that are likely to provide visual guidance to alert drivers (Article 12 (1) and (5)).

Article 12 (Designation and Management of Protections Areas for Children) (1) Where a mayor, etc., deems it necessary to protect children from the risk of traffic accidents, he/she may designate a certain section of the road adjacent to the facility that falls under any of the following subparagraphs or a certain section of the road used by a large number of children to commute to and from the facility concerned, and limit the travel speed of motor vehicles and trams to 30 kilometers per hour therein.