In this blog post, I’ll examine how our perspective on speed camera signs has changed and, through this, reflect on our lives as we navigate the age of science and technology.
Having just obtained my driver’s license, I immediately began to enjoy driving. I got my license even before receiving my college acceptance letter, and after being accepted, I was completely captivated by the allure of driving—driven by the sense of liberation that came with the end of the college admissions process and the freedom of knowing I could go anywhere as long as I had a car. Whenever we went somewhere as a family, I always took the wheel, and I even acted as my mother’s personal driver, driving her to and from work myself.
In particular, I preferred driving on the highway to driving in the city. Of course, you’re supposed to drive safely and stick to the speed limit, but when cruising down a wide-open highway, it was never easy to maintain the speed limit all the way. It wasn’t extreme speeding, but I used to enjoy the thrill of driving a bit faster. That’s why the speed camera warning signs that appeared whenever I tried to pick up the pace were always a thorn in my side. Still, the silver lining was that since the signs warned me in advance of the speed camera’s location, I could avoid getting caught. But aside from that, those signs were nothing but a “nuisance.” As soon as I started driving, my mind would fixate on the thought, “When will the next speed camera sign appear?” and I wouldn’t even notice the scenery or anything else around me.
After leaving my hometown to move to Seoul, my opportunities to drive naturally decreased, and I began walking or using public transportation more often to get around. Especially after completing my military service, I gained confidence in my physical stamina, and it became a habit to walk most distances whenever I had the time. Thanks to this, several positive changes took place. I started leaving a little earlier to allow time for walking, and I gained the leisure to slowly take in the scenery around me as I walked. With this newfound leisure, my time for reflection naturally increased as well. Although my travel time was longer than when I used to drive, I could feel that my peace of mind had actually grown much greater, and my life had become richer.
After experiencing this sense of ease and richness in life through walking, I realized that simply living life quickly and conveniently isn’t the be-all and end-all. I also came to feel that our lives today are passing by in a state of absent-mindedness. Thanks to the dazzling advancements in science and engineering, human life has become far more convenient and faster than in the past. However, when I look at reality, I see that many people go through their days without even realizing how the time is passing. People accustomed to cutting-edge technology go through their repetitive daily routines without thinking, living as if they were mere cogs in a technological society. And because of inconvenience and fear, they cannot easily break free from such a lifestyle, instead living lives that circle endlessly on a Möbius strip of thoughtlessness.
At that moment, a speed camera suddenly came to mind. For me, who used to enjoy the technological marvel that is the automobile to the fullest, they were once a thorn in my side. But to me now, speed cameras hold a completely different meaning. Looking back, when I first started driving, I would concentrate even harder on driving to stay within the speed limit until I passed a speed camera. However, once I became more accustomed to driving, the act of slowing down as I approached a speed camera actually allowed me to briefly let go of the tension I’d been feeling while focusing solely on driving. To me—who used to race down wide-open roads, unwittingly swept along by the tide of technology—speed cameras now serve as a welcome reminder to pause for a moment.
Back when speed camera signs really annoyed me, I often wondered, “Why do the police feel the need to announce the locations of speed cameras?” I couldn’t understand why they would go out of their way to announce the locations in advance, since drivers would naturally stick to the speed limit if enforcement were conducted without warning. But looking back now, I realize this serves not only a policy objective of ensuring driver safety but is also a considerate measure to reduce the risks of sudden deceleration and encourage safe driving. If speed enforcement were conducted randomly without any warning of the locations, people who are already living their lives in a constant rush would inevitably feel even greater tension while driving. Conversely, when the locations are announced in advance, even drivers who were driving absentmindedly will briefly slow down and reflect on their driving habits. In this way, they gain an opportunity—even if only for a moment—to step away from their absent-mindedness and reflect on themselves and their daily lives.
Thanks to science and technology, we now enjoy lives that are far more convenient and prosperous than in the past. However, it is also hard to deny that we are living busier lives, constantly pressed for time, more so than ever before. Today, science and technology have become an indispensable part of our lives. That is why we need mechanisms that encourage us to constantly reflect on ourselves, so that we do not lose our humanity even amid this mechanized existence. In that sense, speed camera signs may be more than just traffic infrastructure; they might be a quiet message urging us not to lose our humanity. And what if we were to accept that message and take a moment to step back and reflect on our lives—not just our driving, but our daily routines centered on technology and speed?
