Students Take Action to Reduce the PM Safety Threat
The efforts and campaign of the PM security to improve the safety problem of PM and Security Living Lab through cooperation with university.
Pusan National University (PNU) Students stepped up to improve the chronic PM (personal mobility device) safety problem of PNU.
Recently, Promotion for the “Pusan National University Traffic Safety and Sustainable PM Use Project” of PNU students was selected as the final winner of the “2024 Busan Autonomy Policy Security Living Lab Working Group Activity Contest (Security Living Lab)” hosted by the Busan City Autonomy Policy Committee, etc. The Security Living Lab which has been held since three years ago is a project that receives an idea from citizens to solve the security problem in Busan and concretizes it through public support. Among the 16 teams that applied this year, PNU students were selected among the final 5 teams and received support from local government and the university.
PNU students decided to solve the problem that of PM utilization rate and the safety threat being high as reflected in the name of “PM Security.” Not only are problems caused by users riding without a license or safety equipment, but also by indiscriminate parking which has been a continuous topic of conversation around PNU (reported by “Channel PNU” on August 31st, 2022 and September 21st, 2023, etc.). Kim Seo-Hyun (Dept. of Interior and Environmental Design, 22), PM Security, said, “I saw pedestrians trip over PMs parked thoughtlessly on the roadside, and there is damage in the kindergarten attached to PNU. We plan to prioritize improving user awareness and conduct activities to prevent accidents.”
The PM Security plans to begin with methods that can be used near PNU immediately. With a support fund of about 3 million won from PNU LINC Center, they will launch a “PM User Awareness Improvement Campaign” and install “PM Traffic Safety Signs.” A campaign, at the main gate of PNU and the booths of Daedong-je and Siwol-je, which started on May 14th, aims to prevent drinking and unlicensed driving and enhance awareness that helmets and safety devices should be worn. Do Hyung-Rok (Dept. of Clothing and Textiles, 22), the director of the PM Security, said, “We intend to make the campaign happen every year through connection with PNU.”
Their goal is to be selected as one of the final three teams in August to expand the project. In that case, they can actively cooperate with Busan Autonomy Policy Committee and the Design Council Busan, to increase the size of the project. The PM Security said that it is even planning to open a PM-only road to PNU through support from Busan. They said, “We received favorable comments that if we set the precedent as our project in the screening, other universities will join us. First of all, they said we will focus on the campaign at the main gate of PNU and continue our activities.”
Reporter Choi Yun-Hui
Translated by Lim Su-Min