Medical employees journey an escalator at a hospital in Seoul on Feb. 20, 2024. Korea Instances photograph by Shim Hyun-chul
Members throughout a debate hosted by the Ministry of the Inside and Security at Yonsei College on Saturday have been sharply divided over escalator etiquette. Whereas a majority known as for standing on either side for security and formally adopting the observe as authorities coverage, a vocal opposing camp argued that passengers ought to stand on one aspect throughout rush hour.
Standing on one aspect takes root throughout 2002 World Cup
Present authorities tips for escalator use advise passengers to not stroll or run. However the observe of standing on one aspect grew to become widespread between 1998 and 2008 by means of a marketing campaign selling thoughtful public habits, with the 2002 World Cup enjoying a decisive position in its nationwide adoption. There was a prevailing perception that passengers ought to go away one aspect clear for folks in a rush.
The observe, nevertheless, led to extra accidents as rising numbers of individuals walked or ran on escalators. In response to the Nationwide Elevator Info Middle, the variety of escalator accidents almost doubled from 44 in 2007 to 85 in 2008.
Gear upkeep additionally grew to become a priority. Strolling down an escalator locations a load equal to a mean of two.01 occasions an individual’s physique weight on the tools, whereas strolling up locations a load of 1.54 occasions their physique weight. The uneven load created by passengers standing on one aspect additionally contributed to frequent escalator malfunctions.
Emergency rescuers conduct a drill simulating a crush accident brought on by an escalator instantly reversing through the 2022 Joint Social Catastrophe Response Train at Lotte Mall Suwon in Gwonseon District, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Newsis
Security considerations immediate shift to standing on either side in 2009
To handle the problem, the federal government launched a marketing campaign in 2009 encouraging passengers to face on either side of escalators, serving to carry the variety of accidents down from 54 in 2009 to 19 in 2014. Beginning in 2015, the federal government moved away from recommending a specific standing association and as an alternative launched three security guidelines: maintain the handrail; don’t stroll or run; and stay throughout the security strains.
Most escalator accidents have been attributed to consumer error. Of the 931 accidents recorded between 1993 and 2025, 72.3 p.c concerned such habits as strolling, operating or failing to carry the handrail. The accidents left 582 folks severely injured and 22 useless.
In a latest public consciousness survey performed by the Ministry of the Inside and Security amongst 1,000 adults, 50.1 p.c mentioned they stood on one aspect of an escalator, narrowly exceeding the 49.9 p.c who mentioned they stood on either side. Amongst those that stood on one aspect, probably the most generally cited cause was to make means for folks in a rush, at 40.1 p.c. In contrast, security was the most typical cause amongst those that stood on either side, at 42.4 p.c.
There isn’t a common observe for escalator use abroad. Standing on one aspect stays the norm in Japan, Singapore and a few components of Britain, whereas standing on either side is inspired in London and components of Canada, France and Australia. China, Hong Kong and different locations use a mix of the 2 approaches relying on congestion and the time of day.
Inside and Security Minister Yun Ho-jung delivers opening remarks on the “Discussion board for All” on secure escalator use at Baekyang Nuri on Yonsei College’s campus in Seoul on Saturday. Yonhap
Standing on either side is safer
“Security improves when folks sharing the identical area can anticipate each other’s habits,” Lee Sang-min, a professor at Korea Nationwide College of Transportation, mentioned. “Below the stand-on-one-side observe, contact between folks strolling and people standing nonetheless may cause a domino-effect fall, making it safer for passengers to face on either side.”
Two surveys of 194 members, performed earlier than and after the dialogue, confirmed rising assist for standing on either side. The choice obtained solely 31.4 p.c, or 61 votes, earlier than the dialogue, however rose to 45.9 p.c, or 89 votes, afterward. Assist for making use of the 2 approaches flexibly relying on the circumstances edged up from 38.1 p.c, or 74 votes, to 38.7 p.c, or 75 votes. Standing on one aspect, in the meantime, fell sharply from 29.9 p.c, or 58 votes, to 13.4 p.c, or 26 votes.
“We’ll hear rigorously to each useful opinion shared right this moment and actively incorporate them into coverage selections aimed toward enhancing escalator security tradition,” Inside and Security Minister Yun Ho-jung mentioned.
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Instances, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Instances.
