pepperman comments

Randomator:

What do you think intent means?

You misunderstood my post which pointed out the difference between criminal intent and criminal negligence. Re-read the statute I quoted which is for negligence i.e. "fails to exercise due care".

"We suspect the driver was negligent but not criminal in intent even after the accident."

The difference between criminal intent and criminal negligence:

General definition: criminal negligence - (law) recklessly acting without reasonable caution and putting another person at risk of injury or death (or failing to do something with the same consequences)

Japanese Penal Code: Article 211　 ２　自動車の運転上必要な注意を怠り、よって人を死傷させた者は、七年以下の懲役若しくは禁錮又は百万円以下の罰金に処する。ただし、その傷害が軽いときは、情状により、その刑を免除することができる。 (2)　A person who fails to exercise due care required in driving a vehicle and thereby causes the death or injury of another shall be punished by imprisonment with or without work for not more than 7 years or a fine of not more than 1,000,000 yen; provided, however, that the person may be exculpated in the light of circumstances if the injury is minor.

And this just a few days after Japan Today reported 90% of drivers not stopping at pedestrian crossings and that Japan has a very high rate for pedestrians being hit at crossings.

Also one of the references I posted on that showed 7.6% of deaths are hit and runs like this.

"Road accident is the biggest cause of accidental deaths among children. About 60% of pedestrian accidents occur while pedestrians are crossing the road." Deaths are much higher at crossings where there no traffic lights. From K. Okamura, S. Ito, Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis, Tokyo, Japan, "Pedestrian Road Accidents in Japan"

"In Japan, where pedestrian deaths account for a third of road traffic fatalities, 7.4% of victims die from hit-and-run accidents" from a research paper "Factors contributing to driver choice after hitting a pedestrian in Japan".

Japan: If you want to protect your children order police to strictly enforce the pedestrian crossing law.

I've wondered why they even bother painting pedestrian crossings on the road in Japan. Most cars ignore them giving pedestrians at best a false sense of security.

In some countries if you stand near the side of one cars will stop, but if you do that in Japan cars keep driving through. The only way is to step onto the road and hope the approaching cars stop.

I would like to see statistics for how many people are hit or killed at pedestrian crossings in Japan and compare with other countries where the laws are enforced.

A "public awareness campaign" won't be enough. People know speeding is against the law but they do it anyway because they know they won't be charged for it. People drive straight through pedestrian crossings for the same reason.

Solution is to fine and jail for people who don't stop at pedestrian crossings and back it up with an aggressive enforcement campaign by police.

Six or so months ago was a case in Japan where a physical education teacher left a tap running to top up a pool and forgot about it. The bill from the water authority was about $10,000. They made him pay it with the principals chipping in.