No technical problems found in car involved in fatal crash in Tokyo

So another case of not being able to admit fault, too much pride as ever!

Now let's see how justice goes here. If the guy was in his 40's or 50's, he would be facing a rather lengthy prison term, possibly 10 years or more, depending upon the prosecutors. BUT will they do the same with this guy, where a 10 or maybe even 5 year term, could be a life sentence?

This is a problem that the entire justice system here is facing on a daily basis. Is justice being served by putting this guy away for the same amount of time if he were 20 or 30 years younger? Does he get away with killing someone because of his advanced age?

No easy answers here.

"Yes officer, the gas pedal was stuck. But that's because I kept pressing on it."

He's too old, no matter how guilty he is he's not going to be put in jail. He'll get a suspended sentence and then he'll have to pay a crud load of money

I get the feeling this case is being handled differently because of his former position in the gov't and not his age. If he had been some regular Taro Suzuki who had worked at Ito Yokado all his life, he would already be arrested and they would not be going to these extreme ways to try and show his innocence. This is just another example of how the judicial system is not the same for everyone.

I think the maximum sentence for vehicular death is five years.

The laws changed a few years back, and depending upon the circumstances, and how the prosecutors decided to charge him. He wont face it, but the maximum was raised to 15 years.

However odds are he will gent sent here;

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-09-mn-37628-story.html

Confirming the obvious.

Like MarkX says, the handling of this case does not inspire faith in the justice system. Unlike standard practice, this man wasn't arrested and still gets the honorific "incho" or hospital chief.

I hope common sense is applied so that whenever a reckless driver wrecks their own car, the burden of proof does not require the police to sift through it and completely rule out mechanical failure before they can pursue a case of driver error. I would also like the bill for testing the wreck for mechanical failure to be sent to the driver, not the taxpayer.

Not only did he lie about his own mistake, he failed to call an ambulance. And he was a hospital chief! He should have been prohibited from driving long ago if he is that far gone. This guy is very selfish.

Definitely getting preferential treatment due to his status and previous positions. He should have been arrested already; they dont waste time on any of the other cases involving vehicular death.

However one thing that concerns me is that in all of the cases that i have seen recently on TV where the driver claimed a stuck accelerator pedal, the car was either a Prius or Aqua. Both Toyota hybrid vehicles, with drive by wire accelerators (no physical wire going from the pedal to the throttle butterfly - its controlled by a computer and servos). Is it possible that there is a computer glitch?

However even if this is the case, an alert driver would be hard on the brakes, handbrake engaged and hopefully shifting into neutral if this happened. Not racing for hundreds of meters through several intersections wondering 'hmmm, pedal seems to be stuck'

If some posters are right, if you are a juvenile it is ok to do minor crime because you can’t be prosecuted, and if you are old and kill someone, no jail.

The Prius and smaller Aqua are top selling cars popular with old people, so are more likely to be involved in this kind of accident. There was a stuck accelerator commotion in the US about the Prius, but the cause was found to be dealers in the US fitting cars with third party floor mats that were not secured. Several accidents were caused by mats sliding up onto the floor-mounted (i.e., not hanging) accelerator pedal.

The above happened because the US has a system of motor dealers who sell various manufacturers' cars, not only Toyotas. This means that they were not given the same training Toyota dealers get in Japan. You can of course walk into Autobacs in Japan and buy potentially dangerous floor mats for any car, just as you can buy things to dangle off mirrors and shade films that make it impossible to see out of the rear window.

There was a stuck accelerator commotion in the US about the Prius, but the cause was found to be dealers in the US fitting cars with third party floor mats that were not secured. Several accidents were caused by mats sliding up onto the floor-mounted (i.e., not hanging) accelerator pedal.

My parents in law bought an Aqua recently (secondhand) and it didnt come with floormats - the dealer offered to add them in with the purchase, for 50,000yen. I told them to decline, and we found some new original mats for much less than that. When i went to see them again recently i noticed the father had put in additional plastic mats over those... i ripped those out and warned them about the dangers of doing that.

Another thing i see here is alot of people driving with crocs or other slippers. That is another danger, one we specifically learn about in Australia.

"The car accelerated by itself" and "I was pressing the brake, not the accelerator" are the two common excuses used by elderly drivers who mistakenly accelerate into pedestrians, storefronts, other cars, etc.

Elderly drivers crashing into storefronts is a near daily occurrence in Florida, with security cam footage common on the nightly news.

Years ago in the US, an NTSB safety investigation was launched concerning Buicks, as there were multiple "stuck peddle" incidents. They found nothing. (Other than Buick being a very popular brand with old people.)

With all of that being said, a person in their 60's is not elderly. A person in their 80's is. And, if they need to signify a specific age as the crossover point, at least for driving, 75 would be a reasonable one.

Requiring additional testing related to actual driving ability should be required from 75 onward. Not just a vision test. Or, a "dementia" test. But, a written test of the driving laws to refresh their knowledge: a reflex test to measure their ability to react correctly (including using the proper pedal): and, perhaps even a behind-the-wheel driving test, just like when they first got their licenses.

Simply saying "old people shouldn't drive" is stupid and ageist. But, ensuring that elderly drivers still have the necessary capability to drive safely, considering their aging physiology, just makes sense.

In fact, maybe all drivers should be required to take a written test every 10 years, considering the way people drive.

After killing 2 people, injuring 8 other people, his wife ,and himself this old man still have the guts to lie. The way this case is handled and the way this guy plans to lie his way out of this case are  insulting and infuriating.

This twat epitomises the 'Self-Entitled' oyaji in Japan.