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Mother and daughters involved in fatal crash in Gunma

Just seen this in the gutter press. I am sure there is a better version with more info somewhere.

Thought it relevant to the forum.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/...run-over-at-crossing-youngest-daughter-killed

Horrible, awful all around, for everyone.

So many things that could have been done better, wear a freaking helmet, more reflective stuff on the SIDES of bicycles, more bright LED lights, they are cheap and very good now.

The driver, who knows what happened, could be all his fault, or the lady on the bicycle with two kids and who knows what else could have suddenly turned into the crosswalk with the light green, people make mistakes. Maybe the driver was talking on his cell phone?

Horrible accident....:(
 
Horrible. As far as I know there is no helmet law in Japan. And mothers who do use helmets on their kids don't have them wearing properly. At least the public schools require students to wear helmet if they commute by bike. But again , the helmets suck and are worn bozuzoku style. In many ways, Japan is just another 3rd world country who has yet to really grow up. I see the same actions, mentality and results as would be expected in rural China, Cambodia, Philippines or South America. From the lack of consistent laws, varying regulations and simply awareness of operating mechanical transportation devices.
 
Yes it is sad, another sad one is thee driver of a mobile crane that plowed in to 7 school kids after lying about epilpse on his health check and the police not banning him after a previous accident.

The news of the family getting taken out is a sad one. Not really enough information really to see what actually happened but the fact it happened on a pedestrian crossing is just shocking. We had a young lad at my daughter school killed in the same kind of accident, although it was known that the truck driver tried to jump through on the red.
 
It is awful.

More info is coming out now; both kids have now died and the mother remains unconscious.

The lady is from the Philippines, and her cousin has posted on that Japan Today thread asking for assistance.

Terrible business, and my heart goes out to the family.
 
I haven't followed this closely so don't know the ins and out.

Nonethless, I've seen people here walk directly into moving traffic once the green man has turned on. They don't look, just assume that because it's green (or "blue") then it's ok.

You still need to apply "stop, look, listen" - you can't trust the lights, or the drivers.
 
I haven't followed this closely so don't know the ins and out.

Nonethless, I've seen people here walk directly into moving traffic once the green man has turned on. They don't look, just assume that because it's green (or "blue") then it's ok.

You still need to apply "stop, look, listen" - you can't trust the lights, or the drivers.

When my kids were in elementary school, on anempty country road (I could see a good kilometer in any direction) with a stop light I demonstrated this for them, I showed them that even if the light is red, I can drive the van through the red light, the light is only a suggestion. Both of my girls were shocked, "SHOCKED" being kids they really thought the red light had some kind of physical power to make a car stop, like some computer on the car saw the light and made sure you stopped, they had their eyes opened wide on that day :eek: :D
 
Nonethless, I've seen people here walk directly into moving traffic once the green man has turned on. They don't look, just assume that because it's green (or "blue") then it's ok.

You still need to apply "stop, look, listen" - you can't trust the lights, or the drivers.

I showed them that even if the light is red, I can drive the van through the red light, the light is only a suggestion.

I`ve had this same conversation so many times: watch the traffic, not the lights. Sometimes though, I do go straight out on green lights just to force the drivers to actually stop when they are supposed to; making sure I have an escape route of course...
 
I`ve had this same conversation so many times: watch the traffic, not the lights. Sometimes though, I do go straight out on green lights just to force the drivers to actually stop when they are supposed to; making sure I have an escape route of course...

I do the same ;)
 
Both sides need to pay attention to 'the rules' In US (at least) there is the embedded sense of looking before you cross (both vehicle and pedestrian). Whilst in Japan (and same for China, et al) both sides act like 'If you don't look - then it's their responsibility' play. I see this all the time and it irks the crap out of me. 'LOOK YOU MFR!! I can SEE the cars just blasting through at the last instant LOOKING THE OTHER WAY! And SAME for pedestrians !! They CONSCIOUSLY don't look as that implies recognition which in turns implies responsibility. Not happening anytime soon here. You need to change the social DNA.

So - reality - if you want to get across the street - then best is that you DON'T LOOK, because if a driver SEE's you LOOK, then they will assume it's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to avoid the CAR! Don't follow this rule and you're likely to be waiting to cross the road a very very long time in most Asian countries.
 
Whilst in Japan (and same for China, et al) both sides act like 'If you don't look - then it's their responsibility' play. I see this all the time and it irks the crap out of me.

This oberservation reminds me of, uhm, a gaijin friend of mine whose Japanese wife returned from shopping by car just as he headed out for shopping by bike.

He had to wait for her to back the car around the corner into the driveway so he could get past on the bicycle. As he stood there watching the car, she backed it into a beam supporting the deck above. It's a tight corner and narrow driveway that only the driver with use of all mirrors can negotiate.

He got assigned the blame by her because he hadn't stopped her in time, simply because he was looking at the car at the time, wondering what she was about to do.
 
Whilst in Japan (and same for China, et al) both sides act like 'If you don't look - then it's their responsibility' play.

I find Japan and China vastly different in this regard. In Japan, more often than not, I find cars will yield to crossing pedestrians. When I was in Guangzhou for a few months, not once did a driver stop for me unless I was already standing in the middle of the road. More often, they would speed up, trying to beat me the crossing...it was nuts.

In the US, so few people cross the roads because so few people walk or cycle; you have to look because drivers are never expecting it.
 
Japan is exactly the same - they just have a slight more subtle approach. If you wanna cross the road in China - you must follow 'the force'. Don't look - even once! Step firmly into the path of all oncoming vehicles and take your chances there! If your tao is aligned - then you'll cross without hazard. If not - you're minced!

The 'rule' is the method in Japan - but it's never enforced. This is the key. While its assumed to be enforced, it's not. And the farther you get from a koban or kanto - the less it's enforced and the more it becomes Chugoku.

I find Japan and China vastly different in this regard. In Japan, more often than not, I find cars will yield to crossing pedestrians. When I was in Guangzhou for a few months, not once did a driver stop for me unless I was already standing in the middle of the road. More often, they would speed up, trying to beat me the crossing...it was nuts.

In the US, so few people cross the roads because so few people walk or cycle; you have to look because drivers are never expecting it.
 
The 'rule' is the method in Japan - but it's never enforced. This is the key. While its assumed to be enforced, it's not. And the farther you get from a koban or kanto - the less it's enforced and the more it becomes Chugoku.

I could not agree more.
 
For those of you having troubles crossing a road in Japan I suggest you do the following:

Raise your right hand in the air - Look directly at the driver.

I pretty much guarantee that they will stop – normally the 2nd or 3rd car on a busy road; anyone that has ridden with me has seen me pull this trick off on even the busiest roads here in Japan ( I think it was Fumiki that was the first TCCer to see me do this).

Japanese are trained from an early age that if you need to cross the road you raise your arm in the air and traffic will stop. As they get older they forget this "rule" however it is so ingrained in to them from an early age that when they get older and drive the subconscious memory kicks in regardless if you are a 188cm gaijin riding a bike they'll stop.
 
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