自転車じてんしゃ 交通こうつう違反いはん「青あお切符きっぷ」反則はんそく金額きんがく決定けってい 来年らいねん4月つき1日にちから取締とりしまり

Regarding the so-called blue ticket enforcement, which notifies bicycle traffic violators to pay a fine, the government has decided on the amount of the fine, and enforcement will begin on April 1st next year.

On the other hand, regarding the act of riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, the basic policy has been summarized to state that, except in cases where it poses a danger to pedestrians, it is not subject to a penalty.

In the revised Road Traffic Act enacted last year, it was decided to introduce the so-called blue ticket system for bicycle traffic violations, in which offenders are notified to pay a fine just like for cars and motorcycles, and if the fine is paid, no criminal penalty will be imposed.

The government decided on the amount of fines for 113 traffic violations subject to blue tickets at the cabinet meeting on the 17th, and crackdowns will begin on April 1 next year.

The main fines are as follows: using a mobile phone while driving, so-called driving while using, is 12,000 yen; ignoring traffic signals is 6,000 yen; violations such as driving in the wrong direction or driving on the sidewalk are 6,000 yen; and riding side by side, which is prohibited, is 3,000 yen, among others.

Of these, regarding riding on sidewalks, many people submitted opinions in the public comments conducted by the National Police Agency, such as I ride on the sidewalk because its dangerous to ride on the road and Its strange to be fined for riding on the sidewalk. As a result, the basic approach was clarified and made public.

It explained the current rule that, in principle, bicycles should be ridden on the roadway, but when operated by people under 13 or over 70, or when traffic volume on the roadway is high and the risk of accidents increases, bicycles are also allowed on the sidewalk.

On top of that, since enforcement with the blue ticket is intended for malicious and dangerous acts, it is said that cases such as riding at high speed on the sidewalk and forcing pedestrians to stop are subject to enforcement, but otherwise, they are not.

The National Police Agency plans to announce its basic policy on violations that will be subject to focused enforcement in the future, and aims to further raise awareness of these policies along with traffic rules.

The basic idea behind cracking down on bicycles riding on sidewalks is that, when the National Police Agency set the amount of fines for blue tickets, they received 5,926 public comments over the one-month period starting in April this year.

Many of the opinions were about riding bicycles on sidewalks. Specifically, there were comments such as, Its dangerous to ride a bicycle on the road, so I ride on the sidewalk, but its strange to ban sidewalk riding, and questions like, Will I be fined just for riding on the sidewalk?

For this reason, the National Police Agency has organized and made public the current traffic rules and basic approach to enforcement regarding bicycles riding on sidewalks.

According to this, while traffic rules state that bicycles are basically required to use the roadway, there are cases where riding on the sidewalk is permitted. These include situations where road signs or markings indicate that bicycles may use the sidewalk, when the rider is under 13 or over 70 years old, when the rider has certain physical disabilities, or when the volume of automobile traffic on the roadway is extremely high or the roadway is too narrow, making it more dangerous for bicycles to use the roadway and it is deemed unavoidable for them to use the sidewalk.

However, even when traveling on the sidewalk, the following traffic rules must be obeyed.

It means proceeding at a crawling speed that allows you to stop immediately, keeping closer to the roadway side of the sidewalk rather than the center. If your bicycles movement would obstruct pedestrians, you must stop temporarily. Even if there is a designated bicycle lane on the sidewalk, the basic rule is to proceed at a crawling speed.

On top of that, regarding enforcement with blue tickets, it is stated that those who follow traffic rules and use the sidewalk will not be subject to penalties; only malicious or dangerous acts will be targeted, such as engaging in behavior that directly leads to traffic accidents or continuing to violate rules after ignoring a police officer’s warning.

And as for specific cases that could be considered “malicious or dangerous acts” and subject to enforcement, examples include riding at high speed on the sidewalk and startling pedestrians to the point where they stop, or continuing to ride on the sidewalk despite warnings from police officers.

Penalty Amounts for Major Violations These are the penalty amounts for major bicycle traffic violations.

Using a mobile phone while riding a bicycle, so-called driving while distracted, will result in a fine of 12,000 yen.

It is a 7,000 yen fine to enter a railroad crossing when the barrier is down.

Ignoring a traffic signal: 6,000 yen

▽Violations such as going the wrong way or riding on the sidewalk cost 6,000 yen.

Failure to make a temporary stop: 5,000 yen

▽If the brakes do not work or there is a malfunction in the braking system, the fee is 5,000 yen.

Acts that violate compliance matters stipulated by the prefectural public safety commission, such as driving while holding an umbrella or listening to music with earphones, will incur a fine of 5,000 yen.

Riding without lights: 5,000 yen

The penalty for violating the prohibition of running side by side is 3,000 yen.

▽Two-person ride: 3,000 yen