Seven in 10 Koreans feel pedestrian safety is not guaranteed within apartment complexes, and 60 percent think road traffic rules should apply to roads within the complexes as well, according to survey results released Thursday.

Currently, road traffic rules do not apply to car accidents within apartment complexes as they are private property.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission conducted an online survey of 699 people on traffic safety within apartment complexes between March 7 and 21.

Some 69.3 percent said the level of pedestrian safety in apartment complexes was “dangerous” (46.8 percent) or “very dangerous” (22.5 percent).

Twenty-three percent chose “moderate,” while only 7.7 percent said it was “safe.”

As for the reasons the roads seemed dangerous, respondents picked “speeding by vehicles” (58.7 percent) and a “lack of traffic safety installations such as speed bumps” (28.1 percent).

Around 2 in 5 (36.8 percent) respondents incorrectly answered that road traffic regulations applied to roads within the complexes.

About half (49.8 percent) of the respondents said they did not know the punishment for an offender in a car accident in an apartment complex could be different from that on public roads.

Some 57.5 percent said they “strongly agree” that road traffic regulations should apply to roads within the complexes, while 31.3 percent chose “partially agree” and 9.6 percent said “disagree.”

The ministry and the rights commission had asked for suggestions to reduce accidents within the complexes. “Enactment of a special law on roads within apartment complexes” and “more safety devices such as bends” were selected as the best ideas.

A task force including officials from the ministry and police is working on measures to improve traffic safety in carparks at commercial facilities and apartment complexes, a ministry official said.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)