The Road Traffic Act (Law, 道路交通法) in Japan has been revised and came into effect in November 2024. The penalties for the following acts have been strengthened.
These acts that were previously only punishable by fines (or were not treated as crimes in the first place). Due to changes in the law, these acts may now be punishable by imprisonment. A prison sentence may result in disqualification from certain professions. It can also affect your status of residence in the future.
Some of you may have been biking home after drinking a few alcoholic beverages. From now on, you need to be careful to never ride your bicycle on a day when you have had a few drinks (just like you would with an automobile).
Riding a bicycle while talking on a smartphone or looking at the screen
Previous penalty (before Nov. 2024)
Fine of up to 50,000 yen
Revised Penalty (after nov. 2024)
Imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 100,000 yen
If causing a traffic accident or other traffic hazard: Imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen
Driving a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol
Before November 2024, only driving while intoxicated heavily1 was subject to punishment. Under the amended Road Traffic Act, “driving while under the influence of alcohol” (driving while having 0.3 milligrams or more of alcohol per milliliter of blood or 0.15 milligrams or more of alcohol per liter of breath in the body) is now also subject to punishment.
New Penalty:
Up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen
Even if the driver is not aware that he or she is so intoxicated, it is still a crime if the numerical requirements are met.
- Driving a bicycle while intoxicated heavily was subject to a penalty from before the amendment of the law. The penalty is much more heavier and can be up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen. ↩︎
