2 dead, 4 injured after taxi veers onto sidewalk in Tokyo

“Rest in Peace” for that unfortunate soul, “Condolences” to grieving family & friends, “Wishing a speedy recovery” to the injured and survivors is all we can offer at this stage in the story. - Perhaps more specific details will come to light in the coming days?

How tragic. Lesson in why not to get agitated with others drivers. RIP and prayers for those injured.

There are too many elderly behind the wheels of cabs in Japan. It's dangerous. Your reaction times slow as you get older no matter how good of a driver you are. I once took a cab in Japan where the driver's hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold onto the steering wheel and I think he forgot his glasses or something because he kept squinting. It was not a pleasant journey.

As the population and available labor forces ages, perhaps Japan will see a progressive increase in the number of such accidents.

“The 64y.o. driver, remains unconscious, in critical condition. police believe the accident might have been triggered by a sudden health problem as an emergency signal in Y’s vehicle was activated….the taxi had stopped at a red light and didn’t move even when green. But after a vehicle behind blew the horn, the taxi suddenly lurched into motion. It came to a stop, running into a tree on the sidewalk, w/out any sign of the brakes having been applied… A witness saying the taxi driver had been looking down even after the traffic light turned green.” -

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Taxi driver was 64, that's not old. But sounds like he either fell asleep and panicked on waking or suffered a serious medical event.

Some Japanese spoke to have claimed “*unnecessary use of a car’s ‘klaxon’ in Japan” can cause nervous drivers to become confused and have accidents”. -* Is there legal precedent or is it an unfounded excuse to try to shift some of the responsibility & taxi cab companies liability?

- “A witness saying the taxi driver had been looking down even after the traffic light turned green. But after a vehicle behind blew the horn, the taxi suddenly lurched into motion.” -

Possible example[?], @Designer 02 7:57am:

- “How tragic. Lesson in why not to get agitated with others drivers.”

I wonder whether the driver behind feels a bit guilty.

More and more cars are being built with automated braking sensors, which in this case would surely have stopped or slowed the car had they been fitted.

There are far too many drivers in Japan who, when stopping at a red robot, immediately get stuck into their phones for whatever reason missing the robot change to green and just sit there while traffic continues to build up behind them completely oblivious to the delay it is causing others. As many Japanese will not hoot we all sit there and more often than not when they notice they do eventually notice they shoot through as it changes leaving everyone behind and more congestion as a result. I hoot now if the person has not moved within 5 seconds of the robot changing to green. If you don’t like being booted at PAY ATTENTION to driving and not other things like chatting or looking at your phone or TV screen!

The driver must have been having a heart attack, then over reacted to the horn sound.

When facts are few experts are many.

Yet, here someone is, reading along with us but failing to comment with their perspective of the topic at hand and less about offering criticism of those who choose to comment or speculate. For example:

*- @Harry_Gatto 10:00am: “When facts are few experts are many.”*

This unfortunate situation happened to a dear friend of mine here in Japan 20 years ago. He was in his early sixties and had just started driving a taxi after his business went under. A few months into the job, he suffered a massive stroke and his vehicle went off the road into the guardrails. Fortunately, no one was hit and the passenger only sustained minor bruising but he passed away shortly thereafter in the hospital.

People commenting with ageist comments about people in their 60s must not have lived long enough to understand that 60 is not very old and that medical emergencies like an aneurism can happen to people even in their 30s.

Wobot

Hope the postmortem determines what happened to the taxi driver so we can understand how the situation came about

How would examining the the poor victim's corpse determine what happened to the taxi driver?

FYI, the driver is still alive, according to the article:

"The 64-year-old driver, identified as Hitoshi Yamamoto, remains unconscious and in critical condition."

Sounding a klaxon doesn’t have to be done aggressively.

I’ve often witnessed a polite toot, just enough to alert the driver ahead that the lights have changed.

Much more so here then back in Europe, where klaxons are weapons with which to assault the timid.

Tragic. Sorry for the loss of your friend & the passenger *@ooly 11am.*** *The first general comment was about Japan’s aging population still working in ‘Transportation’. Yes, anyone can be subject to an unexpected or unforeseen health conditions. - Perhaps more routine physical (and* mental) evaluations for ALL ‘highly-stressed occupations’ are becoming increasingly necessary for JAPAN?

*-@ooly 11a: “People commenting with ageist comments about people in their 60s must not have lived long enough to understand that 60 is not very old and that medical emergencies like an aneurism can happen to people even in their 30s.” -*

More and more cars are being built with automated braking sensors,

Yes, perhaps they should be mandated for taxis in big cities, which are more likely than inaka ones to encounter pedestrians and cyclists.

(this sounds like a stroke or heart attack)

NHK just announced that the driver also died.

Oh, I am sorry to hear that, the second death. This will surely shake things up, in the right direction!

Perhaps to start with, people reaching a certain age and wanting to buy a new car should be required to choose one fitted with emergency braking sensors. (Although at 64 he was still relatively young in this day and age.)

The driver was slumped over the stearing wheel, it sounds like he's had or having a heart attack, or a mild eppaletic seizure, either way this is very sad for all parties. I hope J news follows this article up with the results of the autopsy.

This crap happen all the time but jgovt too weak to take remedies. Jgovt has to make money and profit they don’t care that the reason