# Chapter 2 Overview of Current Road Traffic Safety Measures

## 1 Improvement of Road Traffic Environment

## ○ Improvement of People-First Walking Spaces Offering Safety and Security on Pedestrian Roads

While gaining the cooperation of the local communities, traffic safety measures such as actively improving sidewalks in school routes, residential roads, and main roads in town areas were promoted from the standpoint of "people".

(1) In March 2009, Prefectural Public Safety Commissions and road administrations cooperated to implement comprehensive accident prevention measures such as pedestrian improvement in 582 residential and industrial areas with high rates of fatal and injury accidents of pedestrians and bicycles that were assigned as ‘Safe Walking Areas’.

Additionally, on residential roads outside of such areas, Prefectural Public Safety Commissions and road administrators worked together to prevent speeding vehicles, to define the shape of roads, and to make clear the existence of intersections to drivers and traffic sections for pedestrians and drivers. Policies for preventing traffic accidents were implemented to promote the initiative for creating secure road spaces that could be safely shared by pedestrians and drivers.

(2) In order to ensure the safety of passage for children and infants attending elementary schools, kindergarten, nurseries, and children's houses, the improvement of sidewalks along school routes were actively promoted.

In addition, improvement was devised for school and kindergarten routes through push-button traffic lights, improving pedestrian lighting and pedestrian overpass, and expanding and augmenting pedestrian crossing.

(3) Furthermore, in order to ensure elderly and disabled people can get around on their own, the roads connecting stations, government facilities, hospitals, etc. by installing wide, flat sidewalks were improved. These improvements are based on the new barrier-free laws.

In addition, electric pole clearance was promoted along with the improvement of barrier-free traffic signals, traffic signals with the function of separating pedestrians and vehicles, pedestrian overpass with lifting and lowering devices, car parking lots, and car parking lots with parking grids for disabled persons. At the same time, LED lighting and higher brightness for road signs were promoted in order to devise the safety and smoothness of passage for elderly and disabled persons along with adapting to the increase of elderly drivers.

## o Promoting Traffic Safety Measures On Highways

(1) The “Zero Accidents Plan,” which emphasizes strategies to eliminate danger zone accidents, was promoted during the implementation of development projects that contribute to road traffic safety. This was undertaken to scientifically test the effects and in order to gain the maximum result with a small budget, while implementing efficient and effective measures through the application of a management cycle.

(2) Regarding the particularly "accident hazardous" intervals, 3,396 sections of highways with high percentage of accidents, specified in March 2009, the Prefectural Public Safety Commissions and the road administrators, in cooperation, have promoted intensive measures to prevent traffic accidents through the development and the sophistication of traffic signals, installation of traffic signals with the function of separating pedestrians and vehicles, improvement of visibility of road signs, maintenance of sidewalks, intersection improvements, improvement of visual distance, such as the development of additional lanes, establishment of a central zone, fence installation and protection of bus route stop zones, development of demarcation lines, installation of road illumination and road safety posts, and etc.

## o Comprehensive Improvement of a Bicycle Usage Environment

With the aim of realizing a sustainable clean and energy-efficient transportation system with the cities, it is needed to create a safe and comfortable environment for cyclists; clarifying the role and position of the bicycles, depending on the traffic situation, appropriately separating the pedestrians, bicycles and automobiles and implementing measures to prevent the pedestrian and bicycle accidents from increasing. For this purpose, relevant organizations such as the police and road administrators promoted, in cooperation, the development of the road traffic network for bicycles, road bikes, and bike lanes.

In addition, the review committee consisting of experts in the private sector has examined the way of