City to cover installation costs for lane-departure warning systems, pedal black boxes and more to improve road safety
Daejeon city announced Thursday it will launch a program to subsidize the installation of advanced driving assistance systems for elderly motorists as part of efforts to build a safer traffic environment.
The initiative comes amid a growing need to prevent traffic accidents as the number of older drivers in the city continues to rise. The city plans to reduce accidents by helping drivers respond more quickly to hazardous situations through high-tech assistance devices.
The program is open to residents aged 70 or older who are registered in Daejeon and actively drive. Eligible devices include a lane-departure warning system, a forward collision warning system and a pedal black box.
The lane-departure warning system alerts drivers with an audible warning when a vehicle drifts out of its lane, while the forward collision warning system provides advance notice when a rear-end collision risk is detected. The pedal black box records a driver's pedal inputs and can be used to analyze accidents suspected to involve sudden unintended acceleration.
Daejeon city plans to support approximately 686 vehicles with a total project budget of 410 million won ($271,000), covering up to 600,000 won per vehicle.
Applications will be accepted from June 8 through June 22. Applicants must visit their local community welfare center in person and submit the required documents, including an application form and driver's license.
Those selected will visit a designated installation provider to have the device fitted, after which they will go through a verification process and receive a reimbursement of the installation cost directly to their bank account.
After installation, the city plans to conduct satisfaction surveys and analyze the program's effectiveness, using the findings as baseline data to inform future expansion of traffic safety policies for elderly drivers.
"Preventing traffic accidents involving elderly drivers is a critical task directly tied to public safety," said Nam Si-deok, director of Daejeon's transportation bureau. "We will work to create a safer traffic environment and reduce accidents through support for advanced driving assistance systems."
Meanwhile, according to Korean National Police Agency statistics, the number of licensed drivers aged 65 or older in Daejeon grew from 120,609 in 2023 to 144,386 in 2025, while the number of drivers aged 70 or older rose from 56,063 to 68,708 over the same period.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
