Since October 2022, alcohol testing of occupational drivers by using a checker has become mandatory, although visual check was considered acceptable for the time being due to a shortage in necessary tools. With alcohol checkers becoming increasingly accessible in the market, testing with a checker will become officially required from December 2023. This article look at details of this rule.
[1] What is “driving safety supervisor?”
Business operators who have at least one vehicle with a riding capacity of eleven people or more and at least five other vehicles (with motorcycles, except for motorized bicycles, counted as 0.5 each) must appoint a driving safety supervisor. Business operators who have 20 or more vehicles are also required to appoint one deputy driving safety supervisor per 20 vehicles.
A driving safety supervisor is required at each office that employs vehicles. For example, if a company has a head office in City A with ten vehicles and a branch office in City B with five vehicles, supervisors must be appointed for both offices. In applying this rule, all the vehicles in use are counted, including employees’ cars used for the operations and leased automobiles.
Driving safety supervisors are responsible for the following nine tasks.
(1) Understanding of drivers’ conditions
(2) Creation of drive plans for safe driving
(3) Allocation of driver resources for rotation in long-distance or nighttime driving
(4) Implementation of safety measures under unusual weather, etc.
(5) Checking of drivers’ fatigue, sickness or other risks to safe driving by a roll call and necessary instruction
(6) Checking of the influence of alcohol (alcohol check)
(7) Record keeping of alcohol check
(8) Preparation of drivers’ daily logs and record keeping of the logs
(9) Safe driving instructions to drivers
[2] Changes from December
Regarding (6) alcohol check above, supervisors are currently allowed to conduct visual checks of drivers’ conditions before and after driving, instead of testing with an alcohol checker. From December 2023, the use of alcohol checkers, designated by the National Public Safety Commission, will become required in addition to visual check. Supervisors will also need to make sure the alcohol checkers are ready for use at all times.
Alcohol checkers designated by the National Public Safety Commission means tools that measure the amount of alcohol in exhaled breath and indicate its concentration by sound, light or figures. Companies are required to keep the checkers in good working order, while driving safety supervisors must use the checkers appropriately according to their manuals, observing the validity period or the maximum usage count. They should also conduct regular maintenance to confirm the checkers are working properly.
More companies are expected to start using alcohol checkers toward December. Please make preparations by going over supervisors’ responsibility and reviewing the format for keeping records of alcohol check.
[Reference]
Metropolitan Police Department, “Prevention of traffic accidents involving business proprietors and occupational drivers
https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kotsu/jikoboshi/torikumi/kotsu_joho/jigyo_shokugyo.html
The content is based on laws and regulations as of the date of this article.
