Japan Electric Kick Scooter-Linked Incidents Top 400 in July, One Accident Involved “a four-wheeled vehicle”

From Jiji

September 1 2023

TOKYO – Japanese police have cracked down on 406 incidents involving electric kick scooters in July, when regulations on their use were eased, National Police Agency data showed Friday. 

According to the NPA, 187 incidents, or 46 pct of the total, involved riders ignoring traffic lights.

Violations of lane rules, such as using electric kick scooters on walkways without shifting to the low-speed mode of up to 6 kilometers per hour, were the second-most common type of incident at 151 cases, or 37 pct, followed by running stop signs at 35 cases, or 9 pct, and obstructing pedestrians at 17 cases, or 4 pct. Two incidents involved driving under the influence.

Among Japan’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo had the highest number of incidents at 355, followed by 25 in Osaka, western Japan, and 11 in Kanagawa, south of Tokyo.

There were seven traffic accidents involving electric kick scooters in July, resulting in seven injuries but no deaths. Four of the cases were single-vehicle accidents, while two involved pedestrians and one involved a four-wheeled vehicle. Six occurred in Tokyo, and one in Osaka.