Japan enacts law for tougher road rage punishment

Jun 03, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 03, 2020 (NHK) - Japan's Diet on Tuesday enacted a revised road traffic law that will impose tougher penalties on drivers involved in road rage incidents.

The revised law defines road rage as obstructive driving, such as putting other motorists in danger by zigzagging in front of another vehicle or suddenly slamming on the brakes. The term had previously not been legally defined.

Such aggressive drivers can be sentenced to prison for up to five years or fined up to one million yen, or about 9,000 dollars. Their driver's license will be invalidated and they will be unable to get a new one for a certain period.

The National Police Agency says there were over 15,000 cases of road rage across Japan last year, up about 2,000 from the previous year.

The revised law also targets drivers aged 75 or older. Elderly drivers with a record of violations such as ignoring traffic signals must take a driving test when renewing their license. If their driving skills are below standard, they cannot have their license renewed.

Punishment for road rage will be tightened from the end of this month, and new measures for elderly drivers are expected to take effect by mid-2022.

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