Daejeon to introduce flexible speed limits in school zones along major roads

Speed limits in school zones along major roads in Daejeon will shift to a flexible, time-based system, replacing the blanket 30 km/h restriction that has applied around the clock.

The city announced Thursday it will introduce time-variable speed limits in school zones along roads with six or more lanes, allowing nighttime speeds to exceed the current 30 km/h cap.

The city conducted a comprehensive survey of road and traffic conditions across all school zone segments subject to the 30 km/h limit and carried out joint inspections with the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency to develop the time-based speed management plan.

Under the new system, the 30 km/h limit will remain in effect during daytime hours when children are most active, while nighttime limits may be raised to as high as 50 km/h based on road and traffic conditions.

Daejeon plans to roll out the project in phases across 46 segments from this year through 2028 — starting with four segments this year, adding 15 in 2027 and 27 more in 2028. The total project cost is 6.928 billion won ($5.12 million).

Taking into account on-site conditions and the effectiveness of signage, the city will install fixed signs on roads with four or fewer lanes this year. From 2027, variable signs will be placed on major roads with six or more lanes to clearly display the applicable speed limit to drivers at each time of day.

Before implementation, the city plans to gather input from parents and other stakeholders and obtain approval from the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's traffic safety review committee before finalizing the target segments and detailed operating guidelines.

Meanwhile, Daejeon has been running a time-based speed system near Daeduk Elementary School in Yuseong-gu since July 2023. That segment uses variable signs to enforce a 30 km/h limit during the day and 50 km/h at night.

"Child safety comes first, but applying a uniform speed limit even during nighttime hours is not always rational — we need to factor in road and traffic conditions," said Park Seung-won, the city's director of transportation. "We will pursue this project with both safety and practicality in mind, so that we protect children while also improving traffic convenience for residents."