The police control traffic after a car crashed into pedestrians waiting for traffic signals at an intersection in downtown Seoul in this file photo taken the night of July 1, 2024. The accident left nine dead and four others injured. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – New passenger cars and small commercial vehicles in South Korea will be required to be equipped with pedal misuse prevention systems starting in 2029, a move aimed at reducing accidents caused by unintended accelerations, the transport ministry said Thursday.
Under the government’s plan to revise the country’s automobile safety standards, the mandatory installation will apply to newly manufactured or imported passenger vehicles beginning January 2029.
The government aims to expand the requirement to vans, trucks and special vehicles weighing 3.5 tons or less from January 2030.
The system must limit engine output when the car detects obstacles placed 1 to 1.5 meters in front or behind a still-standing vehicle or obstacle, when the driver accidentally steps on the accelerator pedal.
The decision comes after international standards for such systems were established in June. Japan plans to make such requirement mandatory from September 2028 for domestic vehicles and September 2029 for imports.
In addition, the government will require the installation of an indicator of battery life span in new electric vehicles (EVs) to help drivers check the state of their car batteries, the ministry said.
(Yonhap)
