Japan to reduce speed limit on residential roads to curb accidents

Putting proper pavements in with a solid raised kerb would massively increase pedestrian safety. Those little white lines are utterly useless to keep people safe.

How about enforcing the current speed limit. I am often being tailgated even if I am going 10 or 15 km over the current speed limit. Seems to me people are just driving to fast anyway because for the most part there are no one enforcing the speed limit now. I doubt many people will slow down any more than what it is now.

How about police doing their jobs, instead of hiding in the koban until it's time for a transfer?

Ours does nothing,kids riding past helmetless, nursery literally opposite with parents not using child seats,drunk drivers etc.

Speeding drivers in residential areas are a problem. I hope the police start enforcing the speed limits especially near schools. As a pedestrian living near several schools, someone who walks a lot on residential streets that have little, often no physical separation between pedestrian walking places and the area where drivers drive vehicles; I'm amazed how little regard many drivers give to pedestrians, and also to travel lane direction, drivers use either side of the narrow road seemingly randomly, and many tend to ignore anyone walking, I observe too many drivers who turn corners with no regard for the direction of the lane they're turning into. Another big problem is parking, there seem to be no parking rules, and definitely no parking enforcement, I see vehicles parked less than a meter from a junction, obscuring sight-lines for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. I'm happy I am able to use a the wonderful public transit system here and do not have to drive.

About 0.2% of neighborhoods in Japan look like that picture, it’s a beauty

Well done..

you could design lower speeds on the roads by building sidewalks, cause if you're speeding, no law is gonna stop ya speeding.

Oh now there is a public works chance, that meets everyone's needs! The government subsidize it(not another bridge to nowhere) improves public safety, reduces speeds, and could make some areas look nice if they decided to plant some trees too, cool the town down, create shade, give someone a job to look after them, may even (unlikely) bump the areas house prices a bit. Especially in areas like the photo above. But most look nothing like the pic. One of those show home areas.

I'm not even going to read the article but I bet it says somewhere in there that it is unenforceable and they're just asking for cooperation. Come on... this is a nation where people actually, no joke, learn that the yellow light means "go faster", and where cars always have the priority on roads.

(Sarcasm)

What I love with Tokyo is that cars drive absolutely everywhere. Every single road, no matter how narrow and residential. Truly lovely going for a walk and always having a taxi behind you constantly or blasting past full speed as you save yourself in the gutter.

How could it take so long to get to this? Tokyo is crazy in the tightly packed neighborhoods with the slim roads and cars.

About 0.2% of neighborhoods in Japan look like that picture, it’s a beauty

I was gonna say, yes, it's a really nice looking street! Cute looking relatively newer houses with well maintained greenery. I wonder where it could be?

I am often being tailgated even if I am going 10 or 15 km over the current speed limit.

same

Speeding drivers in residential areas are a problem.

Very true. Especially those narrow streets that are big enough for one car, used by residents and the mail man, sometimes have rampant drivers driving through thinking it is a shortcut with no regards to the pedestrians.

Notice that there are no sidewalks in Japan? Or they are very few and narrow, especially in Tokyo. I never could understand why a civilised country as Japan do not have side walks or no bicycle lanes?? And I'm not talking about old neighborhoods where building those is impossible, I'm talking a brand new house neighborhoods where they design the streets like this from scratch. Also the streets are so narrow you always have to go over the edge white line in order to let the other car coming up in front, pass.

I'm talking a brand new house neighborhoods where they design the streets like this from scratch.

Would you rather buy / sell a bigger house or a wider sidewalk?

I doubt the new law will have much effect. Apparently running a red light is also unlawful and yet it seems to be the national sport.

the legal speed limit on narrow roads in residential areas to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph to reduce traffic accidents.

The speed limit is 60km/h on narrow roads in residential areas? The main road that goes past my kids' school, its a kokudo used as a through-road by long-distance traffic, is 40km/h, though you would never know it because no-one slows down and most cars will be doing about 70. I'm pretty sure there are tunnels on the Chuo Expressway where the speed limit is 50. I seem to remember seeing 50km/h signs on the Tokyo Expressway too. It therefore makes no sense to have ever allowed people to drive through "narrow roads in residential areas" at 60.

There is likely to be no enforcement, so this may just be a way to punish people more severely when accidents happen as before.

Putting proper pavements in with a solid raised kerb would massively increase pedestrian safety. Those little white lines are utterly useless to keep people safe.

There is actually a school of thought that NOT putting in those things keeps the vast majority of the drivers on their toes (thus creating a feeling it is unsafe) and cognizant they are really in a shared space, encouraging them to slow down, resulting in a net improvement in the statistics.

While putting in those things creates a feeling in the driver that the non kerb area is Car Space and thus they put more speed on than otherwise.

meaningless.

how abt to make one way traffic instead?

Speed bumps! Signs won’t slow down the rat runners. Make the roads so they can’t speed on them.

The Japanese government decided Tuesday to cut the legal speed limit on narrow roads in residential areas to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph to reduce traffic accidents.

I don’t know of any road that is 60kph besides the expressways. Even roads like Kannana and Nikko Kaido are posted as 50kph. Most double lane roads in Adachi ward in Tokyo are 40 and neighborhood streets are already 30kph.

@SDCA

It looks like a new build area near Toki Premium Outlet, Gifu.

How about just enforcing existing laws!

I just got home from a client's place.

I had to use my horn at least a half dozen times because the car infront was looking at their phone instead of the traffic signal that changed to green

In one case the police were 2 cars behind in the other lane and a clear view of the 3 cars around all using their phones at the light and they did nothing.

Our road is small, you can barely pass 2 cars.

But every night the house shakes because big delivery truck speed down it at way above the speed limit using it as a short cut.

We complained to the police and the city and guess what, the police set up a check point.

Oh I forgot the check point was from 9 to 5 by 18:00 no more police and nothing at night when we said the problem is.

We don't need lower speed limits we need proper enforcement of existing laws.

Near Nippori and Nishi-Nippori station area during the day , you will see dozens of police standing on the busy intersection, they will stop a few bicycles, shooters maybe a motorcycle or two, speeding nothing, smartphone while driving nothing and at 18:00 all gone not a single cop and later when people run the lights and speed like maniacs, not a cop in sight.

Details people, details! Be nice for the writers to do some research before half-arsed reporting!

Are these national roads? Prefectural roads? City, Town or Village roads? All of the above?

Who is paying for the change over in signage? Has traffic been taken into account?

Near my house, a "national" road had it's speed limit raised, from 40kmph tp 50kmph and the effect was near miraculous in that traffic jams were almost eliminated. Dropping them to 30kmph would be disastrous as people will automatically drop to 20kmph and talk about constipation.

More details would seriously be appreciated!

Just another traffic regulation that won't be enforced.

DanteKH

Today 05:42 pm JST

Notice that there are no sidewalks in Japan? Or they are very few and narrow, especially in Tokyo. I never could understand why a civilised country as Japan do not have side walks or no bicycle lanes?

Our area of Tokyo, we gave several large roads including Meiji dori and wide sidewalks and bike lanes.

And guess what?

People walk on the road all the time while bicycles are more often than not on the sidewalks.

And the bike lanes, what a joke, each side has big blue arrows indicating the direction the bike traffic needs to follow (with the flow of the cars) but not a minute goes by that someone is going in the opposite direction forcing other cyclists to stray into traffic.

And again the police do nothing and I really mean they do nothing.

At one point the bike lanes and sidewalk pass right infront of a major police station and the cops all outside watch as Cyclists ride on the sidewalks or in the wrong direction of the road or bike lanes.

People walking on the road/bike lanes (remember there is a large sidewalk on both sides of the road.

Now the police love to hide and wait along the tram line where the trees have overgrown and block the view of multiple stop signs, no need to chase anyone, just stand on the road signal to pull to the side and hand out tickets and occasionally yell at people riding 2 on a bicycle.

The area around my home has no pavements and no bike lanes, and yet no speed bumps either. The car, sadly, is king in Tokyo, and we all have to suffer its noise, pollution, and danger.

Well said, englisc aspyrgend. Narrow residential streets with telegraph poles actually IN the road, no sidewalk and no effective night-time lighting are deathtraps. Clearly, public health and safety are not a design priority. Why not?!

Lower speed limits are definitely not the answer. They just frustrate drivers and reduce the efficiency of the system. We need residential streets that are safe for us, our children and our pets to use, day and night, fit for purpose in the 21st century.

I sympathise with cyclists. Cyclists who ride on Japan's roads are a danger to themselves and to others. They also get in the way of motor vehicles. For very good reasons, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in most countries and it should be illegal in Japan, too. The hazard for pedestrians and their pets is unacceptable. Cyclists need their own dedicated cycle paths where they can ride safely without causing a nuisance to either pedestrians or motorists.

That is a potemkin village in that photo - no residential area in Japan looks that nice, especially note the lack of horrid overhead wires everwhere.

The photo is Tokyo.

A natural speed and flow is 40-60 in the Japanese towns, which is why many drivers, expect the elderlies and a few advocating to the rules do not respect the 30 mark. And as there is no control, I do not see any change.

Just to add that in an area such as the picture, speeding is impossible so 30 must be already the respected speed

Signage replacement costs are going to be amazing. Wonder which company is getting that job?

 I never could understand why a civilised country as Japan do not have side walks or no bicycle lanes?? 

No money.

The residential areas on reclaimed land near the Muromi River in Fukuoka look like that image as do the residential areas on Island City.

There is life outside of Tokyo and it is much better.

I think instead of broad stroke national laws like this, it would be better if the law allowed prefectures to set the speeds depending on local conditions.

More control.

Hopefully there can less accidents because of this. Doesn’t really concern me I don’t drive, I cycle, walk or take public transport, very eco friendly you see.

this makes a big difference where i live, if it is enforced. i have have no problem calling 110 EVERY DAY!

The Japanese government decided Tuesday to cut the legal speed limit on narrow roads in residential areas to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph to reduce traffic accidents.

A great way to keep motorists on the road longer and burn more fossile fuels. Great news for oil companies who will now make millions more from Japan.

What? You think all those speeders are suddenly going to slow down. How about Taro the Cop going out and enforcing the speed limit. NOW!

It looks like a new build area near Toki Premium Outlet, Gifu.

That's a good shout, but there is a high rise condo in the background. We've been to the outlet several times (RIP the Soup Stock restaurant there) and I'm pretty sure Toki won't have a high rise condo. Only very urban areas have them.

The condo suggests this is Tokyo somewhere. Its probably only a tiny area. The plots are large and the houses look like they were built at the same time. Maybe there was a rezoning to widen a road, with the landowners receiving millions in compensation. This doesn't look like something done by a developer on an old factory site or the like, because they would squeeze many more houses in.

at 18:00 all gone not a single cop and later when people run the lights and speed like maniacs, not a cop in sight.

welcome to Japan!

The photo looks like it is from one of those places like in part of Nerima where they designed new suburbs after the Tokyo quake of 1923 to ease inner city cogestion and also to get families to move a little out from the city centre. Pretty good job, apart from the lack of raised sidewalks of course.

One way traffic and a raised sidewalk, time to look outside the box, subservience can be overcome.

I agree with most people here. This country needs pavements/sidewalks, and I'm not talking about country lanes but roads in the middle of cities! So tired of having to play Russian roulette and hope that the car coming behind me isn't going to brush against me or even run into me.

I am living in the UK just now, there are many places where there is a 20mph limit, and very few drivers take notice of it. In my village there are also large road bumps built in across the entire road, so they do slow most of them down, generally though, in the last few years i have noticed drivers going to fast, not indicating, and parking very badly. The driving standards here are now appalling, but I can not remember the last time I saw a Police car on the road, no one seems to care any more.

I have often wondered this (question coming), as it's something I have witnessed every single day that I've lived in Japan, without fail.

It seems that most drivers in Japan are graduates of driving schools, and we have all heard and/or experienced how anal-retentive the road testing process is here for those who had to take it to obtain a Japan DL.

So why is it that Japanese drivers seem to be both completely ignorant as to what that rectangular pedal is in the middle of the driver's side floor (called a brake pedal), and unaware that the 3 colors on a traffic light are not all green.

I can walk to the nearest corner intersection and without fail, a driver will drive through the red light of every cycle of the traffic light. And I'm not talking about being in the middle of the road when it changes from yellow to red. I'm talking about the light turning red while they are still 1-2 meters away and they look straight ahead and drive through it.

This logic (What is a break?) seems to also apply to Japanese doing anything in motion - walking, bicycles, scooter, roller skates, skateboard, etc. Their mind seems to tell them, "When in doubt, go faster", rather than slow down or stop.

If you're a politician, you think of fixing problems with laws and policies or maybe money. That's something you can talk about and, most importantly, get credit for. Everyone else just says, why don't they just enforce the speed limit or existing laws? I have found that the Japanese Police don't really enforce much. They try to influence behavior by their mere presence. It will be interesting to see if this works....

In our West Hyogo city, the roads off the main roads have signs at every street corner warning drivers to slow down because of children. I rarely see a speeding driver. Different story on the main roads but they all have sidewalks.

I’ve said this before here. It is compulsory to drive at least 20k/h over the designated limit. If you drive at the designated speed limit you will be met with road rage from those behind. It is a cultural issue, not political

15 years of driving off and on in Japan taught me one thing; if you go the speed limit or less than 20km over it people get mad with you.

cut the legal speed limit on narrow roads in residential areas to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph to reduce traffic accidents.

Roads less than 5.5 meters wide, around 70 percent of the total network of local routes, are expected to be subject to the revision of the traffic law that is set to take effect in September 2026.

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60 KPH = 38 MPH

In the UK most roads that size in residential areas are 30 MPH (48 KPH) and most drivers obey that.

I refer to the width of the road, NOT including the footpaths on it.

I drive to the bottom of my road and to the right, about 20 meters away, is the signs for 30 / 40 MPH limits.

I always assume the ones comming from the right are doing 40 MPH (64 KPH) as upto half do not slow down to 30 till they pass the sign and are already in the 30 zone.

When in Japan i did encounter cars doing, what i call dangerous (but legal) speeds in narrow roads.

I was cycling as it was easier to park than a car.

Aint now way the speed limit on that road in the picture is 60 kph. It's a residential area so it already is 30 kph.

Would have been REALLY nice to have someone take the time to actually take a picture of a road that will be affected by this change. As it is, the information here is next to useless, and all the anecdotal comparisons to one's own neck of the woods is meaningless as well.