### Section 7. Development of Safe and Secure Traffic Environment

## (1) Promotion of Development of the Project for Traffic Safety Facilities

The police are promoting the development of traffic safety facilities such as signals to secure traffic safety and smoothness.

The Project for Traffic Safety Facilities is planned to be promoted according to the Social Infrastructure Maintenance Emphasis Plan. Based on the plan with the planned period of 2008 through 2012, the project is currently promoting development of traffic safety facilities emphatically, effectively and efficiently.

## Diagram 3-12 Implementation of Main Traffic Safety Facilities

Signals :

Approx.200,000 units

• Road Signs : Approx 6.77 million boards

• Inflared Beacon Devices: Approx 52,000 units

• Traffic Information Boards: Approx 3,600 boards

• Traffic Control Centers: Approx 163 locations

(As of the end of FY2008)

## Diagram 3-13 Infrastructure Maintenance Emphasis Plan (Planning Period 2008-2012)

## [Outcome of Improvement of Traffic Facilities Arranged by Police]

1. Improvement of traffic safety

● Fatality and Injury Rate in Traffic Accident (Reduced by approx. 10%)

2. Promoting measures for community roads and measures related to pedestrians and bicycles

● Control rate over accidents causing death and injuries in safe pedestrian areas

(controlled by approx.20% of the number of accidents causing death and injuries related to pedestrians and bicycles at places where measures are taken)

● Barrier-free type signals in major community-related roads (Approx.83%→100%)

3. Promoting measures for trunk roads

● Control rate over accidents causing death and injuries in accident risk prone places (Controlled by approx.

30 at places where measures are taken)

● Control over accidents causing death and injuries (Controlled by approx. 40,000 cases/year)

4. Promoting smoothness in traffic by advanced signals

● Reducing the intersection passing time by advanced signals (reduced by approx. 220 million-persons/hour/year)

● Control over elimination of carbon dioxide by advanced signals (controlled CO₂ by 460,000t every year)

5. Promoting Intelligent Transport Systems

## (2) Development of Advanced Traffic Control System

In the urban area, complex and concentrated street traffic is one of the causes of traffic jams, traffic pollution, and traffic accidents.

The police strive to make the flow of traffic smoother by analyzing data of the traffic volume and driving speed collected through vehicle recognition devices and other devices. By based on the analyzed information by traffic control systems, the police control traffic signals and provide traffic information.

The measures taken are as follows:

· Smoothing of traffic by controlling traffic signals in response to traffic conditions

· Guiding and dispersing the flow and volume of traffic by providing detailed traffic information

· Control over gross traffic volume by controlling signals to give busses priority and lowering the demand for individual vehicles

The measures described above and other measures are taken to effectively and safely control street traffic which has become highly complex and concentrated.