The National Police Agency says that the number of traffic fatalities nationwide in 2024 was 2,663, down 15 (0.6%) from the previous year. It is the third lowest figure since statistics began in 1948.
The number of accidents was 290,792, down 17,138, and the number of injuries was 343,756, down 21,839, the NPA said.
Of the deaths, those aged 65 or over increased by 47 to 1,513, accounting for 56.8% of the total.
By prefecture, Tokyo had the highest number of deaths with 146, followed by Aichi with 141 and Chiba with 131. Shimane had the lowest number of deaths with nine, followed by Tottori (15) and Kochi (21).
In terms of deaths per 100,000 people, Tokushima had the highest number for the second consecutive year at 4.75, followed by Ehime with 4.03 and Yamaguchi with 3.93.
© Japan Today
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P_C
To be sure 2663 fatalities is unfortunate, however relatively low in the world. During the same period, China experienced 250,000, India 160,000 and the USA 45,000 vehicular related fatalities. Japan's number of fatalities ranks #70 in the world.
Further, if one looks at per capita fatalities Japan is extremely low at 2.1 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. This ranks #184 globally. Per capita fatalities for China = 17, India = 11 and USA = 13.
Japan is actually a very safe place to drive. Also, helps that many vehicles are smaller and drive at relatively lower speeds. ;-. And the awesome public transit system.
Disillusioned
Do these global per-capita statistics take into account that less than 50% of the adult population drives and most drive less than 5,000 kilometers per year? This makes those statistics a load of crap.
garymalmgren
One very good statistic from here in Miyagi is that in the past year not one traffic accident fatality involved alcohol.
gary
InspectorGadget
There are a number of factors at play here.
1) An aging population and a decreasing birthrate means that Japan is not replacing drivers who are 'aging out'. Additonally, the ability to drive is seen as less of a necessity with the continued drift to the urban centres where public transport rules and parking is at a premium.
2) Japan's stats for driving statistics artifically reduced by the way in which the stats are collated. Deaths which occur as a result of an injury sustained in a traffic accident which occure more than 24 hours after are not counted in the statistics.
3) Most drivers travel less than 8000Km per year which is very low by international standards. Even than, the majority of that driving is low speed, further reducing the liklihood of serious injury.
4) A true test would be to compare the number of fatalities/injures, regardless of how long after the accident they occurred, per 100,000km traveled.
Japantime
I think that a big reason for the low number of accidents is the driver training system. Students are taught everything about driving and only pass the test if they master it all. Most other countries have very basic training.
browny1
Inspector G - accurate comments.
That the elderly make up well over 50% of the fatalities in a low speed, low kms travelled country, points to a problem that needs close attention.
Looking at data showing deaths per billion of kms driven - Japan is in the low category which is good, but higher than some other countries - Australia for example, which has many other hazardous factors to contend with.
What the article indicates and Inspector G mentioned is now is not the time for celebration as it appears too many people are dying - let alone the 100,000s of injured - for the conditions that exist here.
Especially so for the most vulnerable - our elderly citizens.
Fighto!
Good news. With most Japanese cars on the road usually quite new and with excellent safety features, and driving speeds almost always very low, these figures are not unexpected.
Hopefully they will continue to keep falling, and more lives are saved.
Hawk
The Japanese police are doing a great job of keeping our streets and roads safe for road users.
GuruMick
Not a stats buff so I will steer clear of those comments.
My observations are that Japanese drivers are not skilled, the driver training is inadequate, learning by rote rules doesnt help a sliding car around a corner, the Police rarely stop drivers and smart phone use while driving is ubiquitous .
Small cars are not safer than larger cars .
The expressways do my head in....
Volsi
is this ironic?
In my city (in Aichi prefecture) the police only check if people are stopping before the train crossing (where the risk is very low) but never check the intersection where there are always 2 cars going through a red light
Peter Neil
you’ll get run over doing less than 80mph, 128kph on highways in the u.s.
Mocheake
Comparing raw numbers doesn't tell you much. Same for comparing per inhabitants as most Japanese don't drive and most of the ones who do, probably average less than 50 kilometers per month. I drove regularly in the States and put two three thousand MILES ( 1600 to 3200 kilometers) on my car every month just driving to and from work. Just being on the road for the amount of time it takes to do that exposes you more to accidents, not to mention the sheer volume of lanes and cars. There is no comparison. Japan SHOULD be safer than most other big countries just for the fact that you can barely reach a decent speed on even prefectural roads, which are single-lane in many places and most people do not drive very far. The dynamics are totally different and most Japanese could not drive in America. They'd be terrified and be the source of many accidents.
kohakuebisu
The number of deaths would be lower if cars were smaller, and lower at the front, which is much safer for pedestrians. Deaths aren't going down as fast as the fall in the number of accidents. Cars being heavier is kind of inevitable due to increased use of batteries/hybridization and the addition of safety equipment like airbags. Bigger though is driven by fashion and convenience. You only have to compare a Golf from the 1980s with one from today to see this trend. The 1980s one will look tiny.
I drive about 15000km a year, my missus does over 20k, but don't have a big problem with Japanese drivers. Braking before indicating, something like 90% of people do this, and not stopping at pedestrian crossings are my biggest gripes.
Roten
I tried looking for the number of deaths that were of pedestrians hit by cars, as Japan's pedestiran deaths from being hit is usually much higher than the rest of the world at large, and more of the elderly being hit than other ages, but was unable to find it. Here is the mainichi article that gives more details.
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20250107/k00/00m/040/240000c
toto_kiboko
Regardless of the data analysis, traffic accident fatalities are totally tragic. Losing one’s life at the hands of another is an unforgivable incident. One cannot deny this heart-breakibg fact.
toto_kiboko
Regardless of the data analysis, traffic accident fatalities are totally tragic. Losing one’s life at the hands of another is an unforgivable incident. One cannot deny this heart-breaking fact.
wanderlust
Good driver training? LOL. They learn how to pass a test, not how to drive. Generally they have very poor situational awareness, focusing only on the road directly in front of them, not considering/ anticipating further ahead, nor around and behind them. I drive up to 3,000 km/ month, highways and byways, and see this all the time.
The trend towards more and more automation leads to even less situational awareness, as they turn into simple steering wheel attendants, staring at their car navi/TV, and sliding their fingers across a touch screen, as a ton of metal/ rubber and plastics moves quickly down a road.
John-San
I totally enjoy driving in Japan where road user stay to the left unless overtaken. It not about your ability at driving a car as posters from the USA assume. It about how to use the road correctly and the Japanese are far better than majority of the world. They are world best road users. One day it will be zero I am prepare to say Japan will be the first.
Hawk
No.
iron man
Correct use off stoppp lines, do not crosss lines, GIVEWAY lines at intersections my big beefs (mental anguish) in asian nations. Jpn ok for me (once I stood nxt to an osaka lights intersect for a few hours). A reliable avoidable public transport system is essential in urban inc responsible tixi/limo services. I enjoy flying in. where is the limo stand. not quite fallen asleep yet. Homework challenge for yous/kiddywinks. PRC,India,TWn, KL, what/which? passenger vehicles account for the most urban acccidents? I could inc HK, but that would be too obvious.