1

Characteristic Reality of Accidents

A car is a convenient and comfortable vehicle. On the other hand, it can bea dreadful weapon that causes tragic traffic accidents if it is not used properly.
Traffic accidents are huge social problem. Every year so many people are killed
in traffic accidents.
The number of traffic fatalities in 2022 fell by 26 from the previous year to2,610. This number was less than one-fifth of the traffic fatalities in 1970, whichpeaked at 16,765.
Additionally, the number of both traffic accidents (300,839) and injuries(356,601) in 2022 has decreased since 2004, when they reached their highest
numbers. They have decreased for the eighteenth straight years since 2005.

1,200,000

Number of injuries
Number of occurrences

1,000,000

800,000

781,492
711,374
666,023
618,853

600,000

580,850

629,033
573,842525,846
536,899499,201

400,000

461,775
472,165
430,601

369,476

362,131356,601

309,178

305,196

300,839381,237

10,0008,000

Number of deaths
6,000
4,388

4,000

4,113

4,117

3,904

3,694

3,532

3,215
2,839

2,636

2,610

2021

2022

2,0002013●2322014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

1 Characteristics of Traffic Accidents(1) Time frame of accident occurrences

Happening situation of fatal accidents by hourly (cases)

9
Characteristics of the Accident, the Realities and Tragedy

Fatal accidents happen during what we call “night time”, from evening to
the middle of the night. The reason why fatal accidents happen so often atnight is that it is harder than daytime to obtain the necessary driving information and, therefore, recognizing and judging takes more time. As traffic
gets light, it encourages drivers to increase speed. Becoming distracted
and disconnected is also another reason.
(2022)

350
300
250

265
cases

261
cases
224
cases

227
cases

268
cases

296
cases

217
cases

195
cases

200

155
cases

150

189
cases
130
cases

123
cases

100
The numberof cases
Time frame

6〜8

8〜10

10〜12 12〜14 14〜16 16〜18 18〜20 20〜22 22〜24

0〜2

2〜4

4〜6

Percentage
of all

8.8

8.9

10.2

5.1

4.8

7.4

8.5

10.4

10.5

11.6

7.6

6.1

(2) Sites of accidents
Fatal accidents happen most at and around intersections. Intersections
are the place where traffic goes not only north and south but also east andwest. Moreover, vehicles and pedestrians mix and get involved with othertraffic at intersections.
The site where fatal accidents happen the second most is on single-laneroads. On single-lane roads, they tend to gain speed and drive recklessly.
Then curves and corners come next. It is attributed to driving attitudes
which ignore safety, such as speeding and steering errors.
Circumstances of fatal accidents by road shapes (cases)
Number ofaccidents
Road shape500

1,203cases（46.6％）873cases（34.3％）

Single-laneroadOthers

1,500
1,201cases（47.1％）

Intersection

Curve /Corner

1,000

890cases（34.5％）346cases（13.6％）373cases（14.4％）130cases（5.1％）

2022

117cases（4.5％）

2021

233●

(3) Age of drivers
In figures for fatal accidents by driver age, elderly drivers (65 years andover) have the highest number of fatal accidents, followed by those in the50-59 years age group and the 40-49 years age group. Compared with theprevious year, 30-39 years age group had the largest decline in fatal accidents.
Fatal accidents involving young drivers (16-24 years) started to risearound 1980, but, after peaking in 1990 at 3,828 accidents, they have continued to decline almost consistently, falling to less than a third in ten years.
By 2005, the number of fatal accidents among young drivers had fallen
below that of the 30-39 years age group. On the other hand, although thefatal accidents involving elderly drivers are on a downward trend, theseremain at a high level, due in part to a 50% increase in the number of licenceholders in this age group in ten years. The statistic for this age group surpassed the 30-39 years age group in 2008 and it has stayed at the top everyyear since then. The level of drivers aged 75 years or older is even higher.
The transition of the fatal accidents of the first concerned person (drivers of four-wheeled vehicles
and two-wheeled motorized vehicles) by age group

1,600

16-24 years old
25-29 years old
30-39 years old
40-49 years old
50-59 years old
60-64 years old
Over 65 years old

1,400
1,200
1,000
800600400
200(Cases)
Age

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

16 - 24years old

490

443

437

412

353

25-29years old

335

271

269

216

222

318

318

284

248

236

186

168

127

134

135

30-39years old

550

518

485

459

438

389

302

274

242

225

40-49years old

669

639

586

626

599

524

497

404

368

358

50-59years old

499

527

559

487

505

494

465

417

415

409

60-64years old

342

284

254

244

236

223

202

187

181

165

Over65years old

979

957

992

965

893

960

827

714

701

739

Total 3,864

3,639

3,582

3,409

3,246

3,094

2,780

2,407

2,289

2,267

In regard to younger drivers’ fatal accidents, accidents by head-on collisions and front-end collisions stand out. It’s related to the tendency to drive
recklessly and aimlessly.

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(4) Driving experience

9Characteristics of the Accident, the Realities and Tragedy

By the length of driving experience, the shorter the length of driving
experience, the higher the percentage of causing accidents. It is the sametendency as the year before. This is due to the lack of ability to predict possible dangers and the lack of preparation for safe driving.

(5) Violation of law
Among all the violations of laws and regulations that cause fatal accidents, driving aimlessly comes first, followed by improper driving operations and failure to confirm safety. However, young drivers are most likely toviolate the speed limit, while elderly drivers are inclined to drive improperly.
All of these hazards can be avoided, however, by remaining alert, using a
bit of extra caution, and anticipating risky situations before they occur.
Situation of fatal accidents by factor (the first concerned person)
Percentage(%)
Types ofviolation

5(2022)1015

Driving
aimlessly

14.4% (326 cases)

Operation ofdriving

13.6% (308 cases)

Not confirming
safety10.9% (246 cases)

Obstructing
pedestrians

10.7% (243 cases)

Driving
inattentively

10.0% (227 cases)

Violation ofroad sections

4.5% (103 cases)

Exercise dure care
and attention at anintersection

4.5% (103 cases)

Ignoring a
traffic light

4.3% (98 cases)

Speeding

4.3% (98 cases)

Failure to yield toa vehicles withthe right-of-way

3.4% (76 cases)

Not stopping
at stop signs

2.6% (60 cases)

Insufficient
caution towardmoving object

2.3% (52 cases)

Fatigueddriving

1.6% (36 cases)

Not driving atsafe speed

1.5% (35 cases)

Overtaking

0.9% (21 cases)

Crossing theroad, making
U-turns, or similar

0.8% (19 cases)

Drink driving
Others20

0.4% (9 cases)
9.1% (207 cases)

235●

2

Exposure and Injury in Two-wheeled
VehiclesAs the whole body is always exposed to the outside while on two-wheeledvehicles, an accident is highly likely to be serious.

(1) Clothes
A Wear clothes that reduces
the exprosure of your skin as
far as possible and protectiveequipment.
B Wear clothes that are clearlyvisible to other drivers.
C Do not drive with footwear
which obstructs driving, such as getas and sandals.
D Put on reflective clothes or a driving helmet with a reflector.
E A person riding double on a two-wheeled vehicle does the same asabove.

×(2) Putting on a helmet＊1

PSC Mark

A Do not drive a two-wheeled vehicle or a motorized bicycle without adriving helmet.
Also, do not ride double without a driving helmet.
The majority of people killed in accidents while riding on a two-wheeledvehicle had fatal head injuries.
B Use a helmet which has the PS (C) mark or the JIS mark1 on it and wear
it properly with the chin-trap tightly buckled.
A construction hardhat is not for driving.
Involving two-wheeled vehicles (all injuries)

JIS Mark

Pay special attention
regarding leg injuries

others 5.7%
Head 5.3%
Chest 7.5%

The majority of injuries in accidents
occur in the leg areas. If you topple
over, be careful not to get trapped inthe vehicle.
Injuries by body part in traffic accidents.

●240Lower back 9.3%

38,945Legs
33.2%

people

Neck
17.5%

Arms
21.5%

(2022)

3 Administrative action
The number of drivers’ license revocations was 32,980 and the number ofsuspensions was 180,557 in 2022. The period a person cannot receive a license
due to revocation is from 1 year to 10 years. If the person whose drivers’ license
has been revoked tries to obtain a license again, he or she must go through specialtraining.
In the case of driver’s license suspension, time periods vary from 30 days to180 days.
Number of drivers’ license revocations(Cases)Number of drivers’ license suspensions(Cases)

25 000200 000
52

1 5
100

2 5
1 0 550 000

1 5 000

25 000150 000

Number ofcases

Number ofcases

Year

2020

2021

2022

Year

2020

20212022※ It includes revocation of beginner drivers’ licenses, revocation due to illness ortendency to seriously violate rules. It excludes applied revocation.

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