## Section 3: Driver Measures

Opportunities for driver education have been systematically placed along every stage of the driver’s license qualification process and every stage after the candidate has received a driver’s license, and police are working to enhance education for persons seeking to acquire a driver’s license as well as education after a driver’s license has been awarded.

Column: Measures to prevent accidents by persons with illnesses that may interfere with driving cars and other motor vehicles safely

Traffic accidents causing multiple fatalities and injuries occurred in Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture in April 2011, and in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture in April 2012. With these accidents, it was later revealed that the drivers did not declare illnesses that trigger seizures accompanied with impairment of consciousness when they applied to renew their driver's licenses. In order to prevent accidents caused by persons with illnesses that may interfere with the safe operation of motor vehicles, police are taking measures such as promoting awareness of Driving Aptitude Consultation Desks and enhancing responses to persons seeking counsel. However, with regards to the accurate assessment of the condition of a disease at the time a driver's license application, etc. is submitted, police initiated meetings of the “Review Committee of Experts on Driver Licensing System in relation to Specific Illnesses” from June of the same year to discuss this issue with due consideration to requests and other matters from bereaved family members and related agencies and to review measures to increase viability.

## Section 4: Traffic Environment Improvement

## 1 Developing Safe and Secure Traffic Environments

Police are working to improve traffic safety facilities such as traffic lights and roads signs. In addition, as well as striving to achieve well-ordered traffic flow through traffic control systems, police are providing the data they gather and analyse as traffic information to facilitate the alleviation of traffic congestion and pollution.

## 2 Utilizing IT for Road Traffic

In order to optimize traffic management using the latest information and communications technologies, police are promoting the development and improvement of new traffic management systems including the Public Transportation Priority System (PTPS), which controls traffic lights to give priority to buses and other mass public transportation systems by exploiting the functions of optical beacons.

Public Transportation Priority System

3 General Parking Measures

As well as exacerbating traffic congestion and obstructing safe passage, illegal parking harms the living environment of local residents and has a significant impact on life in general.

In order to ensure good parking order, police are continuously reviewing current parking regulations. In addition, police are applying well-organized enforcement to illegal parking based on guidelines that have been formulated and announced with the views of local residents taken into consideration.

## Section 5: Maintaining Road Traffic Order

Police are striving to crack down on traffic violations with an emphasis on highly malicious and dangerous violations that lead directly to traffic accidents such as driving without a license,