Tokyo police get strict on dangerous cycling as accidents soar

11 comments

1. Helmets are a good place to start.

2. i.e., police blame victims for getting killed and injured by Toyoda-san’s products.

3. So frustrating to read that they are targeting the cyclists rather than addressing the many issues cyclists face which cause them great danger. Mainly thinking of cycle lanes that double up as parking spots for cars meaning cyclists have to constantly weave in and out of moving traffic; cycle lanes that suddenly vanish leaving cyclists caught in busy junctions; cycle lanes on narrow roads that are meaningless; cycle lanes for which tarmac repairs were neglected meaning it’s unsafe to use with a bicycle…. I could go on but you get the picture.

4. I think one of my biggest culture shocks in Japan was that cyclists never wear helmets (unless it’s for sport or something). It’s common to see moms on bikes with their kids without helmets. And collectivism sure doesn’t help either, as no one wants to be the weird person with a helmet on. For public safety, I really think the government needs to say look, people wear helmets in most other countries, we should implement it here, and subsidize helmets or something.

5. This can be a avoided when they would ticket cars parked in the bike lane. But ofc, blame cyclists instead encourage cycling

6. When I see a cyclist with earphones on, I kind of want to pumch them.

7. What happens when the perambulating foreigner man doesn’t have a bicycle, do the police who just stopped him randomly have a spare one available that they can sit him on in order to randomly stop him on a faulty bicycle?

8. About time they crack down on these cyclists! They are a menace, always getting stuck under my car.

9. I returned to Tokyo in 2020 after a decade away and was dismayed by how routinely I see my fellow cyclists blow through stop signs and red lights. And as I’ve become more exposed to the suburbs and highways I’ve come to realize that motorcyclists actively cause accidents with riding between lanes. The whole system has gotten lawless, but I suppose Tokyo’s not alone in that.

10. Makes sense for everyone’s safety. Enforcement of the four rules they mention (ignoring traffic lights, failing to make temporary stops at specified points, riding against traffic or cycling fast on sidewalks) are a start but they should add wearing earphones/headphones, carrying something (like umbrella) and checking your phone.

11. ITT people who don’t drive and are probably Uber delivery boys.

    > if caught ignoring traffic lights, failing to make temporary stops at specified points, riding against traffic or cycling fast on sidewalks.

    I don’t think these have anything to do with bike lanes or cars parked on the street.