PURPOSES : This study estimates the effects of traffic safety policies (e.g., the Minsik Act) on the seriousness of traffic accidents in children protection zones. METHODS : A difference-in-differences framework in which the change in the gap of seriousness of traffic accidents occurring in children protection zones and those occurring outside the zone before and after the implementation of the Minsik Act was applied. Furthermore, a placebo test, in which the samples are restricted to a specific period, is irrelevant to the time of students going to school. RESULTS : On average, when the factors causing traffic accidents are not controlled, the degree of damage in traffic accidents in children protection zones appears to be more serious The introduction of the Minsik Act has been shown to reduce the damage from traffic accidents in children protection zones. In particular, illegal U-turns and signal violations increased the severity of traffic accidents in children protection zones, and trucks caused the greatest damage. CONCLUSIONS : The traffic safety policy for children protection zones (Minsik Act) is effective in improving traffic safety by simply “strengthening legal regulations.” This strengthens the importance of traffic safety education to prevent drivers from engaging in driving behaviors such as illegal U-turns and traffic signal violations. It is necessary to ensure the traffic safety of children by establishing a truck operation policy that bypasses children protection zones.

1. 서론
2. 선행연구 검토 및 분석모형 설정
    2.1. 선행연구 검토
    2.2. 차별성
    2.3. 분석모형 설정
3. 분석자료 및 기초통계
    3.1. 분석자료
    3.2. 기초통계
4. 실증분석 결과
5. 결론
REFERENCES

• 김원철(충남연구원 공간,환경연구실 연구위원) | Kim Wonchul (Research Fellow Dept.of Spatial & Environmental Planning, Chungnam Institute 73-26, Yeonsuwon-gil, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do 32589, Korea) Corresponding author