Did Not See Pedestrians Lying on the Road... 3 Out of 10 Fatal Accidents Involve 'Stealth Pedestrians'

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance announced on September 2 the results of its analysis of the "automobile insurance claims and processing database" (hereinafter referred to as the compensation DB) in an effort to closely investigate pedestrian traffic accidents.

This analysis examined both compensation DB data from the past five years and black box footage of accidents that occurred on roads without sidewalks, in order to better understand the accident environment and risk factors.

The analysis showed that, over the period reviewed, there were 4,057 fatal traffic accidents resulting in 4,229 deaths. Among them, vehicle-to-pedestrian accidents accounted for 1,561 cases (38.5%) and 1,575 deaths (37.2%), making it the most significant category by accident type. In response, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance conducted an in-depth investigation into the causes of 105 accidents—specifically, those on roads without sidewalks with available black box footage, where the risk of pedestrian fatalities is high.

Among fatal pedestrian accidents on roads without sidewalks, 30.5% involved so-called "stealth pedestrians": cases where the pedestrian was lying or sitting on the road, making it difficult for drivers to identify them. More specifically, accidents involving pedestrians who were lying on the road occurred three times more frequently than those involving pedestrians who were sitting.

The risk of stealth pedestrian accidents increased at night when driver visibility was limited. The nighttime proportion of stealth pedestrian accidents was 62.5%. By time of day, the highest percentages were recorded between 7 and 8 p.m. (15.6%), followed by 9 to 10 p.m. (12.5%). By season, autumn (September to November) accounted for the most cases (34.4%), followed by winter (28.1%).

Meanwhile, the number of annual traffic fatalities in Korea decreased by an average of 6.4% per year from 4,292 in 2016 to 2,521 in 2024; however, last year saw a 1.1% increase, indicating a stagnation in the declining trend.

The Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute stated, "Stealth pedestrian fatalities are a classic example of blind spot accidents that occur when a driver’s lack of nighttime visibility on shared roads and a pedestrian's vulnerable state coincide. The best solution is to physically separate pedestrian and vehicle traffic with sidewalks, but on residential roads where widening is difficult, it is necessary to expand the installation of visibility improvement facilities such as illuminated signs and smart streetlights, as well as increase the installation of protective barriers where needed."

The institute added, "It is necessary to take preemptive action to eliminate blind spots in pedestrian safety, such as by introducing an 'action recognition AI CCTV' that automatically detects pedestrians lying or sitting on the road, sends real-time warnings at the scene, and immediately alerts control centers, thereby building a smart safety system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.