The Dong-A Ilbo,

(Translation)

On October 27 (local time), in a Silver Zone (elderly protection zone) in Bukit Merah View, Singapore, cars moved slowly along narrow, winding roads barely wide enough for a single vehicle to pass. Even vehicles that entered the Silver Zone at relatively high speeds were forced to slow down because of the curved road layout. Various traffic-calming measures were in place to naturally reduce vehicle speeds upon entering the zone, such as designing intersections in a “Y” shape instead of the conventional “T” shape. Janet Chua, 64, a local resident, said, “Here, you really feel that pedestrians are protected.”

This is the road that was designated as Singapore’s first Silver Zone in 2014. Previously, despite being a residential area with many elderly pedestrians due to the concentration of nursing facilities, the frequent entry of vehicles heading to hawker centres (food courts) or transporting goods made the risk of accidents high. However, after the Silver Zone was implemented, a culture emerged in which vehicles stop first at crosswalks for pedestrians, even though there are no traffic lights.

As of October this year, Singapore is operating 44 Silver Zones like this. In the 15 Silver Zones that had been completed as of 2019, the average annual number of traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians fell from 14 to four cases. Singapore’s transport authorities estimate that the accident reduction rate within Silver Zones is close to 80%.

• Slowing traffic naturally with ‘S’-shaped roads, without enforcement

Singapore entered a super-aged society this year, with people aged 65 and over accounting for 20% of the total population. According to Singapore’s Ministry of National Development, as of June this year, the proportion of the population aged 65 and above stood at 20.7%. In particular, the number of people aged 80 and over surged by about 60% over the past decade, from 91,000 in June 2015 to 145,000 in June this year.

The Singapore government introduced Silver Zones in 2014 to prevent traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians. Areas with a high proportion of elderly residents or a history of accidents involving older pedestrians were selected for designation. Typically, these include areas around amenities frequently used by seniors, such as dining districts and medical facilities. Compared with South Korea, where Silver Zones began to be established in earnest in 2008, Singapore’s introduction came later, but the government chose a more decisive approach. Instead of strengthening enforcement, it opted to change the road structure itself.

In Singapore’s Silver Zones, even if drivers want to exceed the speed limit, they are physically unable to do so. This is because roads have been redesigned by replacing straight layouts with winding, S-shaped roads and installing landscaped planters in the middle to reduce road width. In effect, drivers are forced to stay alert at all times.

Tan Tee Nee, Director of Traffic Design and Management at Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), said, “Silver Zones change the visual and physical characteristics of roads to naturally encourage drivers to slow down, creating an environment where they can drive safely on their own without relying on enforcement.” The Singapore government is also gradually lowering the speed limit within Silver Zones from 40 km/h to 30 km/h.

In addition to accident prevention, measures have been put in place to ensure elderly pedestrians can walk safely. Height differences between sidewalks and roadways have been eliminated to reduce the risk of falls, and traffic islands have been installed in the middle of crosswalks to allow pedestrians to rest. Pedestrian green-light durations have also been extended. The Singapore government aims to add six more Silver Zones by the end of this year, bringing the total to 50.

Continuous communication with residents and community-specific design are cited as key factors behind the successful settlement of Silver Zones within local communities. Director Tan stressed, “We carry out customised designs based on on-site surveys, analysis of traffic and pedestrian flows, and residents’ feedback,” adding, “Resident participation is a core requirement of Silver Zones.”

• “Creating streets friendly to all pedestrians”

Singapore is not stopping at Silver Zones but is expanding its pedestrian protection policies across entire living areas. A representative example is the “Friendly Street” initiative introduced in 2023. While Silver Zones focus on areas with high concentrations of elderly residents, Friendly Streets target areas frequently used by the general public, such as around shopping centres, schools, and subway stations.

In the pilot area along West Coast Road in Singapore, an approximately 850-metre section has been designated as a Friendly Street. When visiting the area on October 28, noticeable features included road surfaces painted green in front of crosswalks to encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians, along with large “40” speed-limit markings. Pedestrian green lights also came on at roughly 30-second intervals, making it easy for people to cross the street.

Observations made for about 30 minutes starting at 3.30 pm, during school dismissal time, at a crosswalk in front of nearby Kent Ridge Secondary School found no vehicles crossing stop lines or violating signals. All vehicles, including motorcycles, complied with traffic signals even when no pedestrians were crossing. Ziyu, a 16-year-old student at Kent Ridge Secondary School, said, “At crosswalks, all cars stop, so it doesn’t feel dangerous at all.” Starting next year, Singapore plans to apply the same level of fines within Friendly Streets as those imposed in Silver Zones and school zones.

Experts analyse that such changes affect not only urban safety but also the social activity of older adults. Samuel Chng, a professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) who studied residents’ perceptions of Silver Zones, explained, “If the walking environment feels unsafe, seniors’ range of movement shrinks, which can lead to social isolation,” adding, “Silver Zones make active social participation among older adults possible.”

Professor Chng emphasised that, ultimately, broad social consensus is essential to creating pedestrian-friendly cities. He noted, “A culture of voluntarily protecting pedestrians must be established, even without enforcement,” and added, “We need to recognise that we all start out as pedestrians.”

“Domestic Silver Zones Should Be Expanded to Traditional Markets”

• Elderly protection zones: about 4,000 in operation nationwide
• Designations focused on senior centres, raising questions about effectiveness
• “Legal revisions and improved driver awareness are both needed”

As in Singapore, where Silver Zones (elderly protection zones) are designated around everyday convenience facilities frequently used by elderly pedestrians—such as restaurant districts—there are calls for South Korea to expand Silver Zones to areas like the surroundings of traditional markets, better reflecting seniors’ actual daily movement patterns.

Under the current Road Traffic Act, areas around elderly welfare facilities, public sports facilities, and natural or urban parks can be designated as Silver Zones. Within Silver Zones, vehicles must travel at 30 km/h or below, and stopping or parking is prohibited. Violations result in fines increased by up to double the normal amount. As of last year, there were 4,042 Silver Zones nationwide, nearly double the 2,287 recorded in 2020.

However, criticism has persisted that Silver Zones are overly concentrated around elderly welfare facilities such as senior centres, failing to adequately reflect the real-life movement patterns of elderly pedestrians. According to an analysis by the Korea Transport Institute, about 10% of trips made by people aged 65 and older are for purchasing goods, a level similar to trips for leisure activities such as visiting senior centres (12%). During these trips, walking or using public transportation accounts for the highest share at 56%, prompting calls for stronger measures to protect pedestrian safety.

Some local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, have designated traditional markets as Silver Zones through local ordinances. However, as traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians have continued to rise—from 9,739 cases in 2020 to 11,301 last year—there have been growing calls to expand designation targets through legal revisions. In fact, most of the casualties in a recent truck crash at a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, were middle-aged and older adults. A bill to amend the Road Traffic Act to add traditional markets to the list of Silver Zone designation targets was introduced at the National Assembly in September this year, but it remains pending in the relevant standing committee.

Yoo Sang-yong, a senior researcher at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance’s Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, said, “In many areas with frequent accidents involving elderly pedestrians, there are traditional markets nearby, but fewer than 10% of local governments have enacted related ordinances.” He added, “Along with legal revisions, various campaigns need to be carried out in parallel to raise drivers’ awareness of elderly pedestrians.”