Tokyo, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police issued 15,919 “blue tickets” to fine cyclists for minor traffic violations in the first six months after the system was introduced in April, according to the National Police Agency. Using smartphones and other devices while riding was the most common violation, accounting for over 40 pct of the total. Traffic accidents involving bicycles decreased by nearly 10 pct from a year earlier. “The introduction of the blue tickets may have raised cyclists’ safety awareness,” the agency said. Under the new system, cyclists aged 16 and older can be fined for 113 types of traffic violations. A total of 6,904 blue tickets were issued for cycling while using a smartphone, accounting for 43 pct of the total. This was followed by failure to stop at stop signs, with 5,559 tickets, or 35 pct, and failure to obey traffic signals, with 1,374 tickets, or 9 pct. By prefecture, Tokyo recorded the largest number of blue tickets, at 2,977, followed by Osaka with 2,853, Saitama with 1,893 and Aichi with 1,725. Meanwhile, only one ticket was issued in each of Yamagata, Mie, Tokushima and Nagasaki prefectures. Osaka also recorded the largest number of guidance and warning slips, at 183,364, while Tottori had the fewest, at 383. An NPA official noted that guidelines giving priority to guidance and warnings over blue tickets are applied uniformly nationwide, except in cases of serious violations. “We will continue to operate the system appropriately and promote awareness of traffic rules,” the official said. “We will also keep track of the situation while taking regional circumstances into account.” The overall number of traffic accidents involving bicycles fell 9.1 pct from a year earlier to 31,021 in the six-month period. The number of people injured or killed in bicycle accidents declined 9.7 pct to 29,827. Including accidents involving vehicles, the total numbers of accidents and casualties each fell by about 2 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
