3 killed after their car rear-ends large truck in Hokkaido

Condolences to the parents. I can’t imagine anything more heartbreaking

Saw the photo of the (Kei) car after the accident, the upper body was crushed. It must have been going at some speed to have been reduced to that size. The truck was unscathed, as you'd expect from a rear-end collision. A regular car would have at least had some crush zones to reduce the impact. RIP kids.

I always wonder why are these kei cars (if that was indeed a kei car) street legal. They are coffins on wheels in my opinion.

Driving while intoxicated or using a cellphone while driving is still the responsibility of the driver. The size of the car isn't.

5:00am? Check blood alcohol before phone activity.

Wow! 4 people don’t believe people should be held responsible for accidents they cause!

What are they going to do? Whip a corpse until it pleads for mercy?? For the purposes of statistics, the cause of the crash will be investigated. Not that I have any faith in that process as the J plod are about as presumptuous as you are.

There are literally dozens of potential causes for this crash. Immediately putting alcohol and cell phones at the top of the suspect list is nothing more than proof of media brainwashing and why you and the other person got your negative votes. Alcohol caused traffic fatalities in Japan are so low they don't even have their own category anymore and that predates the zero tolerance policy. Cell phones are only one possibility among dozens.

Other potential causes are: 1) the two passengers were sleeping and then the driver also nodded off. 2) the trucker's brake lights were out plus he failed to signal and he slowed and turned very suddenly 3) the car's brake system failed. 4) a vicious argument started in the car with all the silliness that can entail. 5) the driver was distracted by some fascinating site on either side of the road or in the sky or that just crossed the road. 6) the driver was watching TV 7) the driver was fiddling with the stereo system 8) the driver dropped something, like a lit cigarette, and went fishing for it. 9) the driver was temporarily blinded by a flash (such as from a passenger's cell phone) or something like a laser pointer. 10) the driver suffered some sort of medical emergency, such as a stroke due to an undiagnosed brain disorder. 11) the driver was literally suicidal and looking for a chance. 12) I could go on but I think I have proven my point.

At 5:00 am in Japan there are many drivers on the roads struggling to stay awake. Car drivers and truck drivers. It takes courage to stop and take a break.

Spoken from experience.

Sad. Poor families.

@Bugle Boy of Company B

Wow! 4 people don’t believe people should be held responsible for accidents they cause! Shameful!

To be fair, tho, There are situations where they could be completely innocent, and a third party is at fault.

Did you even read the article? Sadly those responsible for the crash are all dead. In most cases the party who rear ends is at fault. Perhaps they will check the phones, but there probably isn't anyone alive to punish. RIP

Did you even read the article? Sadly those responsible for the crash are all dead. In most cases the party who rear ends is at fault. Perhaps they will check the phones, but there probably isn't anyone alive to punish. RIP

You’re right. They rear-ended the truck. They are 100% at fault. Probably. RIP.

And no, I never read the articles

I would never drive a kei car on a freeway. No way. Kei cars should be banned from roads that have speed limits over a certain KPH. Large trucks should have flashing brake lights, since they are essentially mobile brick walls. Just my two cents.

You’re right. They rear-ended the truck. They are 100% at fault. Probably. RIP.

Most of the time yes it is the person who rear ends fault, but not always. If the truck cut them off and slammed on brakes to make a left turn then perhaps they had no time to react.

It must have been quite an impact to kill them all. What was the driver doing instead of watching the road ahead?

@Vanessa

You need at least 13 examples before a point is accepted as “being made”.

Saw the photo of the (Kei) car after the accident, the upper body was crushed. It must have been going at some speed to have been reduced to that size. The truck was unscathed, as you'd expect from a rear-end collision. 

Where did you find the images? Thanks.

need that Mansfield Bar like in the states

It doesn't do much. I had a blowout on a rear dual once that just about ripped the whole bumper and light bar off the back of the trailer.

At 5:00 am in Japan there are many drivers on the roads struggling to stay awake. Car drivers and truck drivers. It takes courage to stop and take a break.

Spoken from experience

Not just Japan and yes it does, especially if the dispatcher is screaming at you on the phone to hurry up.

The above are all good reasons, the one most certain is that the driver didn't keep a good distance from the truck. Used the highway countless times myself. They even have measured signs for distance-keeping. Still, RIP to them.

Big trucks does not do a sudden brake. for sure the Kei was just running too fast while not paying much attention whats ahead. this does not have to do with a weak kei car.

The phones should be checked for activity as a cause of the accident.

Wow! 4 people don’t believe people should be held responsible for accidents they cause! Shameful!

To be fair, tho, There are situations where they could be completely innocent, and a third party is at fault.

The phones should be checked for activity as a cause of the accident.