Serious distracted driving accidents in Japan hit record high

The number of serious traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers, such as those using mobile phones behind the wheel, hit a record high in Japan in 2023, police data showed on Thursday, Xinhua reports. 

The number of such accidents that resulted in fatal or serious injuries increased by 34 from the previous year to 122, the highest since record-keeping began in 2007, according to the data compiled by the National Police Agency.

Of the 122 accidents, 25 were fatal. The risk of fatal accidents increased 3.8 times when a driver used a mobile phone while driving compared with when not using it, according to the agency.

In 2019, Japan imposed heavier penalties for the use of smartphones and other mobile handsets while driving, tripling the fine to 18,000 yen (121.8 U.S. dollars) for standard-size vehicle drivers.

Under stricter regulations, the number of serious distracted driving accidents fell from 105 in 2019 to 66 in 2020, but it kept rising from 2021.