What is actually going on with Japanese drivers? There is a phenomenon that has been bothering me for a long time. 95% of all drivers never stop at the crosswalk, many jump red lights. However, EVERYONE stops at the railroad crossing, although the risk that the gates do not work properly and you collide with a train is probably a lot less than the risk of an accident at the crosswalk or when jumping a red light.
Was there ever a serious accident at a railroad crossing that received widespread media attention? Is there much emphasis in driving school in Japan on stopping at a railroad crossing? If so, why isn’t there as much emphasis on stopping at red lights or crosswalks? Does anyone have an explanation?
11 comments
It is drilled at driving school. They have a faux railroad crossing on the course. Failure to stop is (I think) a ¥7,000 fine and a point or two. Easy for lazy cops to stake out a railroad crossing and make bank. You’re also supposed to turn off your radio and roll down the window to verify that no train is coming.
Ummmm…. it’s the law to make a complete stop at a railway crossing in Japan.
Cops sometimes hangout there to bust people who don’t stop.
(PS:
Many other things are “the law” and aren’t followed, but just sayin’… it’s the law)
They have to stop at level crossings because it’s in the traffic code. And enforcement of the code goes through the driver’s wallet. More bored cops hang out at the train tracks than at crosswalks. And even the cops run red lights when they didn’t have to.
They have an awful lot of trains here, more than average in your industrialized world. In total numbers they surely had a lot more accidents with trains as a result. The pedestrian can stop and wait for dumb drivers, a train cannot.
Train > Other Car > Pedestrian. I think that’s all you need to explain the pattern you’re seeing.
> EVERYONE stops at the railroad crossing
Because the police like to hide on the other side of the crossing and hand out two point tickets to everyone that doesn’t. It’s an easy revenue generator for them.
I’ve seen the police several times waiting at busy railway crossings and ticketing drivers who do not stop, though I agree, most seem to follow the rule. Only once saw a car pulled over for running a red light, and as for failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing, never.
Ironically at level crossings I rarely see drivers actually look both ways properly, just pause.. carry on (though presumably the police can still ticket if the driver hasn’t looked properly), plus many crossings you have to be practically on the rail already to see any meaningful distance up and down. However if it saves what could be a major accident now and again, I suppose it is a good rule to have.
I’ve seen cops waiting at red lights, even as far as hiding on side streets or behind bushes. At crossings, too, to be fair. And I’ve had friends get pulled over for going through a pedestrian crossing while a pedestrian was just starting to cross the crosswalk. I’ve also seen a cop just miss a guy yelling and driving aggressively behind a lady with her kid in the car. If cops are there, they might catch things, even if it’s not a rail crossing, or not.
Havent noticed that, but for me its indicator usage here. People like to either not do it on the free way when changing lanes, or they do it for like half a second before they move in. Fair enough if its not that busy but so long as there are other cars you should fucking indicate properly for fuck sake.
In Tokyo, drivers often speed at yellow light to avoid stopping at the red, but actually jumping a red light is rarely seen. Drivers not stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings — at least the ones without traffic lights — is much more common, but definitely not 95% as OP claims.
This is based on my experience in Tokyo. I therefore am curious in which part of the country does one experience such rash driving!
ok let me mention about damn rail road crossings…
i was on biz trip in real inaka of aomori..where people speed like crazy 110 to 120 is common…everytime i visit aomori i would see an accident..there are no speed cameras everywhere…when i drive there other drivers find annoying that they have to overtake me as i follow speed limit…
one fine day literally in middle of no where there was a rail crossing and i didnt stop there just to realize there were 2 cops hinding on side of road lol…
moral of the story is always stop at rail signals lol
There is a much less sinister reason. It is difficult to see every pedestrian and gauge their intent to cross. Rail crossing is a 100% of the time drilled behavior. If japanese drivers notice someone wants to cross they will stop. If I take a step into a crosswalk cars stop almost 100% of the time. If I stand a meter from the curve staring wistfully into space it doesn’t always happen.