Korea Report Shows VT Accidents Increasing For Senior Citizens

A report by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) shows the annual number of accidents involving senior citizens on automated transportation, including vertical transportation (VT), has been increasing since 2020, The Korea Herald reports. A total of 1,507 such accidents involving those older than 65 were registered at the Korea’s Consumer Injury Surveillance System from 2020 to September of this year, and the annual figure for these accidents has increased every year from 116 in 2020 but shot up to 646 in 2023, and there were 333 accidents logged in the first nine months of 2024. Those 65 and older are five times more likely to have an accident than the next most accident-prone group (ages 6 to 12), according to the report. Nearly 92% of these accidents involved falling. More than 85% occurred on escalators, approximately 12% on elevators and the rest on moving walks. Based on the findings, the KCA plans to distribute a guideline on accident prevention for senior citizens in cooperation with the civilian sector’s Korean Association for Safe Communities.