Vice Minister Hong Ji-seon visits research site to inspect progress

Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hong Ji-seon inspects the development site for an automatic deceleration guidance device for adaptive cruise control vehicles on Wednesday. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]
Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hong Ji-seon inspects the development site for an automatic deceleration guidance device for adaptive cruise control vehicles on Wednesday. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]

South Korea is developing an automatic deceleration guidance device for vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it is pursuing the project under its "2025 ITS Innovative Technology Competition," with the goal of prompting ACC-equipped vehicles to brake preemptively even at speeds of 110 kilometers per hour — reducing fatality rates in collisions by up to 72 percent. Vice Minister Hong Ji-seon visited the Cheonan-Nonsan Expressway safety testing ground on Wednesday to inspect the research in progress.

Hong rode in an ACC-equipped vehicle to experience two technologies supported by the ministry — an automatic deceleration guidance device for ACC vehicles and an Internet of Things safety device for road workers — and assessed their effectiveness and readiness for field deployment.

The ACC automatic deceleration device prompts a vehicle to slow down before its radar detects hazards ahead, such as road work zones. The IoT safety device for workers detects fast-approaching vehicles and immediately alerts workers through vibrations and sound.

Based on the pilot results, the ministry plans to pursue a phased development roadmap that includes miniaturizing the devices, broadening their compatibility, enhancing performance through AI, and expanding the product lineup for use by ordinary drivers.

"Road work zones must be managed to protect public safety, but for workers they are also spaces of constant danger," Hong said. "Technology must ultimately exist to protect human lives, and the government will actively support the rapid deployment of technologies that can keep road workers safe."

Meanwhile, highway work zone traffic accidents have averaged 44 cases per year over the past five years, with an average of 9.8 fatalities annually. Of 30 ACC-related accidents recorded during that period, 21 — or 70 percent — involved rear-end collisions in work zones, underscoring the urgency of improving safety in those areas.


smh@heraldcorp.com