Police 'spring' into action during traffic-safety campaign Published March 26, 2009 By Master Sgt. Matt Summers 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Yokota drivers will notice a significant increase in police presence off base during Japan's annual spring traffic-safety campaign set for April 6-15. The Japanese National Police Agency will join forces with local governments and private traffic safety groups during the campaign to increase public awareness of traffic safety and focus drivers' attention on eliminating contributing factors to fatal accidents. Child safety seats, bicycle safety and driving under the influence are the key themes of the upcoming push, said Joseph Tenis, deputy provost marshal for U.S. Forces Japan. "There will be a lot more police at major intersections directing traffic," he said. "The police will also conduct a lot more patrols." The Japanese government enacted a Traffic Safety Policies Law in 1970 following a record-high 16,765 traffic fatalities. Since then, annual spring and fall traffic-safety campaigns have played a significant role in reducing the number of fatalities to 5,155 in 2008-- the lowest total since 1955 -- according to the National Police Agency Web site. Despite success in lowering fatalities, nearly 1 million people were injured in traffic accidents in 2008 and nearly 3 million accidents resulted in property damage. Fatalities caused by alcohol-impaired drivers dropped from 1,267 in 1998 to only 305 in 2008. The Japanese government recently amended the Road Traffic Law to include the following penalties: - Drunken driving - Maximum jail time at forced labor of five years or a fine of not more than 1 million yen. - Driving under the influence of alcohol (BAC of .03 percent or greater) - Maximum jail time at forced labor of three years or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen - Refusal of breathalyzer test - Maximum jail time at forced labor of three months or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen "For drunken driving there is no numerical value," said Shuji Ajiro, 374th Security Forces Squadron. "The law defines drunken driving as a state that in an act of driving there is a fear you can't operate a vehicle normally under the influence of intoxicating liquor." The law also includes punishment for people who provide alcohol and vehicles to drunken drivers, and those who ride with a driver who they know has been drinking, to include jail time or fines. The penalties for providing an intoxicated person a vehicle are the same as those for a person who commits drunken driving or DUI. For those who provide alcohol to some who then commits drunken driving or DUI the penalties are: - Drunken driving - Maximum jail time at forced labor of three years or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen - DUI - Maximum jail time at forced labor of two years or a fine of not more than 300,000 yen If a person is caught riding as a passenger in a vehicle operated by a person intoxicated, the penalties are: - Drunken driving - Maximum jail time at force labor of not more than three or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen - DUI - Maximum jail at forced labor of not more than two years or a fine of not more than 300,000 yen The rules for riding bicycles on sidewalks was also amended to the following: - Cyclists under 13 years of age or over 70, as well as disabled cyclists, may ride on the sidewalk - Under certain conditions, such as congestion, all cyclists may be allowed to travel on sidewalks - Bicyclists may proceed across pedestrian crossings by pushing the bicycle when the pedestrian light is green - Guardians should ensure children under 13 wear helmets when riding bicycles Back-seat passengers are now required to wear seatbelts. Violations on expressways or roads for the use of motor vehicles only, will result in one point of administrative penalty for Japanese driver's license holders. Yokota drivers who receive a drunken driving or DUI citation off base will have their USFJ license revoked for one year, according to a 374th Airlift Wing commander's policy letter dated Aug. 22, 2007.