I got caught by the Orbis camera on the highway. A month later, I had to visit the police station and I was interrogated. The limit was 100 km/h and I was going at 155 km/h. I was told that I might be going to the prosecutor. I am deeply scared. What should I expect? Also, can it sabotage my PR or naturalization application in the near future?
P.S.
I’ve had my license since 2019, and this is my first violation.
8 comments
That’s a criminal violation (learn to read the camera signs, they’re all clearly marked and some are marked multiple times, the last sign will be 500m before the camera).
Since they didn’t arrest you on the spot it’s most likely they’ll fine you and it’ll be painful but the public prosecutor could choose to criminally charge you.
Unfortunately yes it will probably affect your PR.
> スピード違反と永住許可申請
速度超過違反いわゆるスピード違反については、その悪質度合いによって、「赤切符」になるのか「青切符」になるのかで永住許可申請に備えての対応が変わってきます。
つまり、スピード違反が30キロオーバーであれば「赤切符」であり刑事罰が適応されます。よって、刑法34条の２の規定により、５年を経過してから永住許可申請をした方がベストです。
So the recommendation is to wait 5 years from the conviction before applying.
Luckily you don’t have to “do” anything other than show up at the law office on a given date/time (they will mail you / call you with details) and tell them you accept the charges – as in, you were actually going that fast and don’t want to argue about it. Then you don’t have to go to court/etc. They’ll ask you some detail about the driving, bla bla, then you’re free to go. A few weeks later you’ll get another envelope with the fine, for 55km over it might be somewhere around 100k yen. You pay that at post office and you’re done.
If your PR application is already in progress, it’s most likely going to be failed. As others said, retry in 5 years.
You may/may not be screwed. My friends kid got busted for the same thing. He lost his license for 3 months and attended a safe driving program at the menkyo center. This lessened the time by 1 month. Did you get a letter from the police? That is standard before a visit. Did they take your license? That is/was possible also. If not, you may have a chance. A quick chat at lawyers office might be good.
Does this camera get your face? My home jurisdiction only takes pics from behind as there are no front license plates.
Yes
12 points, 90-day license suspension, fine up to 100,000 yen.
Theoretically they could imprison you for 6 months, but I don’t think they ever actually do that for straightforward speeding.
This is a criminal conviction so I don’t think you’ll be approved for PR for at least several years. I don’t know about naturalization.
Exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 kph is a serious offense here that usually results in immediate suspension of your license, fines, and possible jail time. I doubt they would revoke your PR for it but it may be a long time before you will be able to drive again. You need to get a lawyer if they refer your case for prosecution. If you are able to start driving again in the future, buy a radar detector.