Tougher penalties for smartphone use while driving take effect

Dec 02, 2019 | News On Japan

Dec 02, 2019 (Japan Today) - Stronger penalties for drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel took effect in Japan on Sunday in the wake of an outcry from families who lost loved ones in traffic accidents caused by such drivers.

Under the revised traffic control law, drivers distracted by mobile phones face higher fines, a threefold increase in driving penalty points and longer imprisonment.

In 2018, there were 2,790 accidents linked to drivers distracted by smartphones, of which 42 were fatal, an increase by about 2.3 times in 10 years.

Under stricter regulations, penalty points for drivers caught speaking on or otherwise using their mobile phones have been increased from one point to three points, while in instances where others were endangered six points instead of two are imposed.

Fines have been raised to 25,000 yen from 7,000 yen for cases involving large cars, to 18,000 yen from 6,000 yen for standard-sized cars, to 15,000 yen from 6,000 yen for motorbikes and to 12,000 yen from 5,000 yen for motorcycles with 50cc engines or less.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.