## 3 Ensuring Safe Driving

The driver must be trained and educated to ensure safe driving by improving his/her functionality and quality as a driver. Therefore, training is encouraged for current driver's license holders as well as persons who want to get a driver's license. The educational programs for elder drivers in particular, will be sufficiently provided since elderly drivers are expected to substantially increase. The driver's license system will be upgraded in response to the current traffic situation.

Land transportation businesses and their local offices will play a key role in traffic safety and they are obligated to take responsibility, considering changes in transportation business trends. Voluntary safe driving control measures by such businesses and their local offices need to be promoted, and to have their own safety measures as well. In addition to improving traffic safety and the "Transport Safety Management System" sufficiently, efforts will be devoted to prevent work-related traffic accidents.

(1) Enhancement of education for drivers, etc.

(2) Improvement of the driver’s license system

(3) Promotion of safe driving management

(4) Enhancement of land transport business safety measures

(5) Work-related traffic accident prevention, etc.

(6) Road traffic information service enhancement

## 4 Ensuring Vehicle Safety

Countermeasures will be taken against traffic accidents allegedly caused by vehicle structures. And preventive measures for traffic accidents from the vehicle structural point of view will be implemented as much as possible regardless of the causes of the accidents due to human errors such as improper driving, etc.

Moreover, efforts are being made to alleviate the damage resulting from unfortunate accidents due to the vehicle structure. At the same time, damage amplification prevention measures such as car fire prevention and measures for easy escape from the vehicle after an accident are also being promoted.

In addition to the improvement and maturation of damage alleviation measures which have been effective so far, more advanced technology will be applied for active safety measures as a further enhancement. Not only to upgrade and expand the safety standards to make the use of rules and safety measure guidance work together effectively, but promotional methods for encouraging drivers to select safe vehicles shall be planned appropriately. The plans, including promotional measures for encouraging automobile manufacturers and research institutions to develop safe vehicles, will be applied appropriately from the basic research level to the marketing stage.

(1) Promoting improved vehicle safety standards

(2) Further promotion for development and popularization of Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV)

(3) Provision of new vehicle assessment data

(4) Enhancement of motor inspections and maintenance

(5) Enhancement and strengthening of the automotive recall system

(6) Ensuring bicycles' safety

## 5 Improving Rescue and Emergency Medical System

Timely response for traffic accidents on roads, including national highways, should be improved by enforcing better co-operation between fire departments and medical institutions. In addition to that, the supply of sufficient numbers of rescue workers and educational training for the rescue workers needs to be improved and organized -- as do the rescue/emergency systems and emergency medical systems.

Performance of quick and advanced emergency care, critical treatments on site or on the way to a hospital by a rescue team which includes doctors, nurses and paramedics could be possible with an establishment of the system. This will benefit the raising of the life-saving rate and the improvement of life-saving effects in particular. And the promulgation/education of first-aid to the general population needs to be promoted.