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Abe orders measures to secure road safety for preschool children

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Just making noise to make people think he is on top of issues like this! This SHOULD be a no-brainer, and safety issues SHOULD been first, but alas, until someone needlessly gets killed, nothing happens.

I am ever optimistic that the government of this country will eventually learn to be pro-active! (And then I woke up!)

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Oh, Abe! You are such a media sap! You’ll say anything to make it sound like he is doing his job. How about starting with making seat belts mandatory in all school buses. And then, get onto the police and tell them to get out of their job and and start booking all these reckless drivers who speed, ignore red lights, pedestrian crossings, use phones while driving and all the other distractions like, reading newspapers, doing make up, watching TV, etc. all of which are supposed to be illegal. If he really wants to make the roads safer, he has to start with getting rid of all the irresponsible and reckless twits on the roads.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Dammit stop saying stuff that I agree with. After the Spate of recent child deaths, hachioji City has placed crossing guards with flags at Major intersections while kids are traveling to and from school

2 ( +2 / -0 )

We are a rich nation. Their should be guardrails and walkable routes near schools...oh wait...what schools? Alright, I forgot that we can barely bring ourselves to build and staff schools for our country’s future...the little ones!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Sense258,

I don't think the crossing guards are permanent.It just happens to be the Spring Road Safety Campaigh season in Tokyo that lasts for a couple of weeks.

Still,at least they are actually doing something where you live,where I live they just erect a few tents on the sidewalk sometimes even blocking it and forcing the school kids to walk in the road,oh the irony,while the mostly seniors sit and drink green tea and eat rice crackers under the tents.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Orders, urges, promises and still children are squashed. He is like his words fruitless.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Crossing guards? They are usually arranged through the PTA with volunteers. They are pretty much only witnesses.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Old people cannot drive during rush hours.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If the drivers lose control (for whatever reason) and plow into a bunch of pedestrians, adding people to protect them or flashing “Children crossing!!!” signs is really not going to prevent people from losing control of their vehicle and plowing into a bunch of pedestrians.

“I am losing control of my vehicle! Look! A bus full of children! I have to swerve in another direction and hit those other pedestrians!”

6 ( +6 / -0 )

"Abe also called for measures featuring advanced technology such as automatic braking systems to enhance the safety of vehicles driven by the elderly amid concern over the number of accidents caused by senior citizens behind the wheel" I have a question, why do the elderly in any major city require a car, I surrendered my driving license out of common and a moral sense and from the continuing reporting of the elderly in driving accidents and the negative responses . My reasoning was, if I was in an accident, everyone concerned would be thinking it was because of my age, wether the accident would have been my fault or not. I do recognize that those elderly living in the countryside or in the remote areas, a car being the only means of transport, especially those working well beyond retirement age this is a necessity. Japan has a system in place for all those who wish to renew their license after the age of 70 must take a test and each renewal after that. So this is a moral decision, as we get older, we are not always as sharp as we think we are, so as much as the government tries to help and place necessary laws regarding the elderly, the decision lies with license holder.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why now? These accidents involving groups of young kids have been happening for as long as I can remember. Many roads here are terrible. Narrow and so pavements/sidewalks. Is it election time?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"In order to protect the lives of children, I'd like you to swiftly compile measures ensuring safety of routes that groups (of children) take on a daily basis," Abe told a meeting involving the heads of education and welfare ministries as well as police.

First they need dozens of meetings and maybe a new committee. It will take months before something is implemented yet the answer is so simple and can be implemented immediately......

Let the police get off their butts and make people that drive through red lights or use cellphones while driving pay heavily. Heavy fines or take away their drivers license, it would be a great start. But this requires common sense.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The biggest thing that needs to happen is police enforcing existing traffic rules. The first few seconds of red lights, where everyone gets a pass, and pedestrian crossings.

Pedestrian crossings on school runs should be fitted with flashing lights. They are marked with diamonds painted on the road, but these wear away or can be difficult to see in rain, snow etc. I bet most people won't even know what the symbol means.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

In Japan, there has been a spate of accidents involving pre schoolers , PM Abe wisely orders measures to address the issue. In comparison, in the UK, thousands of girls have been victims of so called grooming gangs rapes, yet the May government has been absurdly inactive on the issue.

Good Job PM Abe! You are protecting Japan's children.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

A tad freakin' late!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Super great leader shows again he is abreast with occuring events, the safety and well being if the citizens are his utmost concern.

Oh God, thanks for giving us such a great leader. Hope he could be made PM for life.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

How about actually designing roads with pavements!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Spitfire was correct those crossing guards were only temporary I guess the safety of our children is just too expensive

4 ( +4 / -0 )

As the father of two pre-schoolers I really hope this results in changes but am not super confident.

The road we have to go to get ours to school is an old road that is two way despite not being wide enough for two cards to pass each other (when cars meet, one has to find a spot, usually someone's parking space, to pull over into). It has no sidewalks and is lined with power poles that force pedestrians into the middle of the street at regular intervals. Also it is winding with buildings and walls close on both sides, which creates for very limited line of site (you can't see more than about 100m in either direction, sometimes much less).

Yet cars regularly ignore the 30km speed limit and race along without any regard to the pedestrians (my kids) they speed past with only inches to spare. And there are a lot of them.

Its impossible to put sidewalks or even guardrails onto streets like that, but they really need to focus on putting in traffic calming measures (speed bumps if need be, and certainly turning it into a one way street to reduce traffic). But I'm not confident that a statement made at the national level is ever going to filter down to the micro level and result in changes like that to the street in my neighborhood that presents a real danger to the safety of my children.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I didn't know Abe had a degree in urban planning. Wow know I know I'm going to vote for him he is incredibly smart.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

He is doing his job his way, it doesn't have to be your way. Now the companies and public are aware. They will make some sort of railings in the near future. So this means he is doing his job also public way.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

rainyday

I agree about the measures you suggest for the road you have described. The thing people have to realize is that such roads force parents and PTAs into taking extra measures to try and get kids to school safely. PTAs do a fine job in eating up lots of parents time without extra meetings and extra rotas to accompany kids to school, at the start of the year at least. Pushing extra responsibilities onto PTAs only results in women having less time and energy to take an active role in society.

My kids have to cross a trunk road at a pedestrian crossing. Many cars and trucks pass through at 80km/h. There are flags for kids to hold up, and kids are taught to bow when a car stops, but it sounds like the kids just wait for a break in the traffic. As far as I aware, cars with priority at a junction never bow to other cars, they simply proceed while expecting others to stop. It therefore strikes me as weird that pedestrians who have priority at a crossing are expected to show gratitude for not being run over.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Just making noise to make people think he is on top of issues like this! This SHOULD be a no-brainer, and safety issues SHOULD been first, but alas, until someone needlessly gets killed, nothing happens.

> I am ever optimistic that the government of this country will eventually learn to be pro-active! (And then I woke up!)

Agree 100%

Oh, Abe! You are such a media sap! You’ll say anything to make it sound like he is doing his job. How about starting with making seat belts mandatory in all school buses. And then, get onto the police and tell them to get out of their job and and start booking all these reckless drivers who speed, ignore red lights, pedestrian crossings, use phones while driving and all the other distractions like, reading newspapers, doing make up, watching TV, etc. all of which are supposed to be illegal. If he really wants to make the roads safer, he has to start with getting rid of all the irresponsible and reckless twits on the roads.

Exactly! Remember brother, election coming up soon.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I agree about the measures you suggest for the road you have described. The thing people have to realize is that such roads force parents and PTAs into taking extra measures to try and get kids to school safely. PTAs do a fine job in eating up lots of parents time without extra meetings and extra rotas to accompany kids to school, at the start of the year at least. Pushing extra responsibilities onto PTAs only results in women having less time and energy to take an active role in society.

Absolutely! If this just becomes an exercise of devolving more work onto PTA members (almost always moms) rather than a serious policy to address the dangerous conditions of roads, then I am going to be mad.

In addition to the insanity of it from the "dumping more crap on neighborhood moms" perspective, the fact is that this isn't just a school-kid problem that should only be dealt with during school commute time. These roads and the cars on them are a menace to everyone, 24 hours a day, and the solution needs to reflect that.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ooooh, solve a problem after the tragedy. Talk about a usual concept in Japan....... HEY! WAKE UP!! Take protective measures BEFORE stuff happens.

Yes, guardrails along roads is a start as are automatic break systems in cars. So how about day 2?

Maybe actually have the police patrol the streets and actually make arrests or give citations to people that you know, break traffic laws? And not for a "campaign temporary basis," EVERY DAY!!!! Possibly be more harsh on license renewal and testing laws? Perhaps actually creating safe sidewalks or paths for pedestrians, especially around school zones?

This list can go on and on and on and on..............

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The first command of the Reiwa era!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Minello

I don’t think its yours or anyone else’s call to say whether people in a city “need” a car. Thats a personal decision. Just having enough money and wanting one is actually more than a good enough reason.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan needs more one way streets !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The problem is at the town and city levels.

The Prefecture should first take responsibility and take action to require each city and to to fix the problem..

It is difficult if the National government has to deal "directly" with each and every issue where the local governments must "take action". (Does that mean that the local governments are just waiting for some "orders" from above "before" talking action to protect their citizens?)

It is getting very frustrating to watch and listen to the National government getting too deeply involved in what is best handled by the local governments. Unless of course the local governments want the financial "handout" to finance what is their responsibility.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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