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Important Legal Notice

FarEast

Maximum Pace
May 25, 2009
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Many of you may not be aware that as of May 1st, earphones and mobile phones will be illegal to use while riding. Maximum fine will be ¥50,000 JPY.

We just received a notice from my daughters school informing us that they will be clamping down on this in the next few weeks.
 
true mate, but I'd rather know that it is now illegal than be taken by suprise ;)
 
Might be worth adding that this is only new (from May 2011) in Kanagawa Pref. It has been illegal and punishable in Tokyo since July 2009... I think.

bint.jpg


It's rare to read about someone being fined for this. There are some cases, but usually only after repeated warnings have been ignored, so it's more like being fined for insolence!

However, after an accident or insurance claim these things will be taken into consideration when determining blame ratios, damages, fines, etc. So a cyclist who collides with a car (for example) while carrying an umbrella, smoking, texting and listening to music, with a passenger on their luggage rack, gets little sympathy.

The point of these bylaws is, of course, safety. If you're playing with your phone or iPod, you are not in a position to control the bike safely. If you're wearing earphones or headphones, you can't hear the traffic around you and are likely to be distracted by your music.

So this also applies to 'hands-free' Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones. Distraction caused by a conversation, or even just the fact of wearing the headset, could compromise your safety and that of other road users. Unlikely that you'd be stopped just for wearing one. But if it happens, my recommendation is to be contrite and put it away because the cops can fine you... and we know they have nothing more important to do.
 
Looks like another "Stupidity Tax" to me :rolleyes:

If you are way out in the countryside, on a very long distance tour, fine, I can see that argument, but riding down the congested streets of Tokyo, no way I'd wear headphones.
 
Another example: 2006. Cyclist is distracted by talking on mobile phone and hits a pedestrian. Pedestrian severely injured. Damages awarded against the cyclist by Yokohama district court: 50 million yen.

All this and more (in Japanese) on the Kanagawa Police's informative and captivating cyclist information page.
 
general question

I'm a licensed driver here, and when cycling if I were stopped for this* (or a different violation, like running a light), does that penalty get connected to my license? (points, or a harder/longer renewal process?)


*(I never ever use phones/buds anyway.)
 
Thanks for the info.

I do agree with people saying that it will not be inforced, but it is good to know the rules of a place; knowledge is power, and all that.

Cheers.
 
I'm a licensed driver here, and when cycling if I were stopped for this* (or a different violation, like running a light), does that penalty get connected to my license? (points, or a harder/longer renewal process?)


*(I never ever use phones/buds anyway.)

When I'm riding my bike any distance, I leave my drivers license at home and take my Gaijin Card :D
 
Without wanting to troll, I admit to ride with headphones sometimes.
I have a special set of in-ear headjust for riding, that admits outside sounds to my ears. Plus, I make sure to keep the volume low enough, so I can still hear my surroundings.
I am basically a short distance rider and I love a beat that get's me going in the city. I think it is an important law though:rolleyes:
 
great.. and just how will this be enforced? what if I just ride aroudnd pretending to use a keitai and earphones ?? much better for the keystone coppers to put some reasonable effort into instructing the idiots on the streets already for such basic things as:

1) Ahem - riding on the wrong side of the road to begin with.
2) Repeat as above.
3) Riding on a sidewalk - which, unfortunately, is still the studpidist and most tardist regulation in Japan.

Anyone else- who the f* cares. If they are so stupid to ride blanking out their perception of vehicles , etc, and get nailed by a car - Darwin Rulez. They hit a pedestrian - wtf are they on a sidewalk to begin with?? (Read above)

When Japan gets a friggin clue about how to manage <real> bicycle traffic it will be a nirvana. Until then, shitty laws like this mean nothing. Honestly I don't care if the rider is wanking a gay blow up doll, listening to Marilyn Manson and simultaneously making drug deals. As long as he/she keeps their line, I'm fine. The taxis on the other hand .. they are the intrinsically evil ones. A shabu smoking, overtired, ojisan , diving in for a kill is your worst enemy on the streets. If the PO-LEECE wanna make some cut into accidents then maybe they should be observing more the reality. I'll take a mama-chari head to head anyday compared to a Toyota Crown.
 
When Japan gets a friggin clue about how to manage <real> bicycle traffic it will be a nirvana. Until then, shitty laws like this mean nothing. Honestly I don't care if the rider is wanking a gay blow up doll, listening to Marilyn Manson and simultaneously making drug deals. As long as he/she keeps their line, I'm fine. The taxis on the other hand .. they are the intrinsically evil ones. A shabu smoking, overtired, ojisan , diving in for a kill is your worst enemy on the streets. If the PO-LEECE wanna make some cut into accidents then maybe they should be observing more the reality. I'll take a mama-chari head to head anyday compared to a Toyota Crown.

Thanks for the laugh - I would like to promote your comment to sticky. Universal GTA truism...
 
What a F*@KING Joke!

Will believe it when I see it. Enforcement here is slack to non-existent.
Only the other day it made the front page news that one woman had been fined for riding whilst texting. One woman, in two months when there's a koban on every corner.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/...agawa-teen-for-using-cell-phone-while-cycling

Did you read the article? She was only fined AFTER "being told 4 times over a loud-speaker not to do it"!
Case in point: She was NOT fined for using her phone! She was fined FOR IGNORING A POLICE OFFICER THREE TIMES.
Not to almost paraphrase Bush. Jr, but, "Ignore me once, shame on me! Ignore me twice, shame on you! Ignore me three times and make me lift my fat arse out of this comfy koban seat,..."
 
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