Some workers are using bicycle for commuting or traveling during work. With accident risk involving cyclists becoming a growing problem, the government has amended the Road Traffic Act to impose stricter measures against rule violations by cyclists. This article looks at details of the amendments and status of bicycle accidents.
[1] Amendments to the Road Traffic Act implemented in November 2024
The Act Partially Amending the Road Traffic Act was enforced on November 1, 2024, imposing stricter penalties for dangerous acts by cyclists. The law particularly calls attention to “the use of smartphone while riding a bicycle” and “cycling under the influence of alcohol and aiding and abetting drunk cycling.”
1. Use of smartphone while cycling
The law prohibits holding a smartphone in one’s hand to make a call or staring at the screen while cycling with the penalties below;
Violation: imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 100,000 yen
Cases that caused traffic hazard: imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen
2. Cycling under the influence and aiding and abetting
In addition to drunk cycling, offering alcoholic drinks, riding in tandem with a cyclist under influence, or offering a bicycle to a person under influence have become subject to penalties as below;
Cycling under influence : imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen
Offering a bicycle: imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen
Offering alcohol, riding in tandem: imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 300,000 yen
[3] Accidents involving cyclists and mandatory insurance
Cases of accidents involving cyclists (traffic accidents with a cyclist being the party of the first or second part) totaled 72,339 in 2023, increasing by 2,354 from the previous year. They account for 23.5% of all road accidents, meaning about one in four traffic accidents involves bicycle.
Since offenders end up bearing substantial compensation in some cases, a growing number of municipalities are requiring cyclists to participate in bicycle insurance. As of April 1, 2024, 34 prefectures have made bicycle liability insurance mandatory, while 10 prefectures have implemented ordinances to obligate cyclists to make efforts to become insured.
Table: Status of municipal ordinances
|
Type of ordinance |
Prefectures |
|
Mandatory |
Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Ishikawa, Fukui, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Ehime, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima |
|
Obligation to make efforts |
Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Ibaraki, Toyama, Wakayama, Tottori, Tokushima, Kochi, Saga |
|
To be implemented |
Shimane, Nagasaki, Okinawa |
Since accidents involving cyclists increasing rapidly, companies should also encourage their workers who commute with bicycle to have liability insurance.
For details of the amendments to the Road Traffic Act, posters and leaflets can be downloaded from the National Police Agency’s website. Please put up such posters in offices and raise employees’ awareness.
[Reference]
National Police Agency, “Follow the rules and ride bicycles safely”
https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/traffic/bicycle/info.html
The Ministry of Transport, “Promotion of bicycle liability insurance”
