Cyclists, in the sights of the law enforcement officers. The country where you can go to jail if you drink or use a mobile phone while riding

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Cyclists who use their mobile phones while cycling could face up to six months in prison under strict new regulations passed in Japan on Friday (November 1st).

Starting in 2021, the number of accidents involving cyclists has started to increase, amid a growing preference for using bicycles instead of public transport in the context of the Covid pandemic. Currently, the authorities aim to regulate the behavior of cyclists, they report observatornews.ro.

According to the BBC, people who violate the new road traffic law can be punished with up to six months in prison or a fine of 100,000 yen (about $655). In addition, the new regulations also apply to cyclists who ride under the influence of alcohol, who can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or a fine of 500,000 yen (around $3,278).

Hours after the new laws were implemented, authorities in Osaka announced that they had already recorded five violations, including two men caught pedaling under the influence of alcohol. One of them collided with another cyclist, but no injuries were reported.

Under the new regulations, cyclists who cause accidents face fines of up to ¥300,000 (about $2,000) or face up to a year in prison.

Despite the fact that the total number of road accidents in Japan is on the decline, incidents involving bicycles are on the rise. In 2023, more than 72,000 bicycle accidents were reported, accounting for more than 20% of all road accidents in the country, according to local news sources.

In the first 6 months of 2024, there was one death and 17 serious injuries in crashes involving cyclists using mobile phones, the highest number of cases reported since police began collecting these statistics in 2007 .Between 2018 and 2022, police reported 454 accidents caused by cyclists using phones, a 50% increase compared to the previous five-year period.