"Fined 110,000 Won for Using Smartphone While Riding"... 842 Bicycle Violations in Japan in Just Two Weeks

Failure to Stop Accounts for 44% of Cases
279 Citations for Smartphone Use While Riding

In Japan, more than 800 “blue tickets”—fines for bicycle traffic violations—have been issued nationwide within just two weeks of the system being implemented. The majority of citations were for failing to make a complete stop and for using smartphones while riding. Whether the system will take root remains an issue for the future.

Bicycle image to help understand the article. Pexels

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on May 5, a survey of bicycle traffic violation enforcement conducted by police departments across Japan’s prefectures between April 1 and 15 found that at least 842 “blue tickets” had been issued. The number of on-the-spot instructions or warnings given by police officers to correct violations reached about 21,900.

The blue ticket system was introduced to prevent serious accidents caused by bicycles. The crackdown targets 113 types of violations committed by bicycle riders aged 16 or older, including using a smartphone while riding, running a red light, and riding on sidewalks.

Of the 842 violations confirmed to have been issued with blue tickets, the reasons were made public for 781 cases. Among these, failure to make a complete stop accounted for 342 cases, or 44%, the largest share. This was followed by 279 cases of using a smartphone while riding (36%), and 81 cases of running a red light (10%). Fines for using a smartphone while riding are set at 12,000 yen (approximately 110,000 won), while running a red light or riding on a sidewalk carries a fine of 6,000 yen (approximately 55,500 won).

By region, Aichi Prefecture recorded the highest number of cases with 136, followed by Osaka with 125, Saitama with 104, and Kyoto with 99. In contrast, there were zero cases reported in nine prefectures: Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Mie, Tokushima, Kochi, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Okinawa, highlighting regional differences.

According to the National Police Agency of Japan, except for particularly dangerous violations such as using a smartphone while riding, blue tickets are, in principle, only issued if police instructions or warnings are not followed. In practice, the number of blue tickets issued amounted to about 4% of all instructions and warnings given. It appears that most violations are being corrected on the spot through police guidance and warnings.

Police headquarters across the country have reported that, since the system was introduced, “more bicycles are coming to a complete stop at designated points,” and “cases of riding while holding a smartphone have decreased.” Some respondents also noted a sense that bicycle traffic accidents have decreased overall.

However, public understanding of the system still appears to be insufficient. Police departments in various areas continue to receive inquiries about what riding behaviors constitute traffic violations. In response, Japanese police are working to raise awareness of the system through traffic safety education and promotion on social media platforms.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.