Focal Points of the Eighth Fundamental Traffic Safety Program
- Japanese version
- English version
Subtitle
Achieving a society with no traffic accidents
Term
Five years from FY2006 to FY2010
Basic Principles
- In order to build a truly prosperous and vibrant society, it is crucial, as a prerequisite, to ensure the safety and security of the people. Securing traffic safety is also an important element to meet the prerequisite.
- In light of the significant social and economic losses arising from traffic accidents, we should aim to ultimately achieve a society with no traffic accidents under the principle of respecting human life.
- We will follow the basic principle of people first in order to further secure the safety of pedestrians, who are vulnerable in relation to cars, as well as the safety of those especially vulnerable, such as the elderly, the disabled, and children.
Road Traffic
Basic Principles
Achieving a Society with No Traffic Accidents
- Under the principle of respecting human life, we will aim to ultimately achieve a society with no traffic accidents.
- In addition to enhanced efforts for the further decrease of fatalities, it is also necessary to be vigorously committed to the reduction of traffic accidents.
- The ratio of pedestrians to total road traffic fatalities is larger in Japan than in the United States and European countries. Therefore, it is especially important to secure the safety of pedestrians under the principle of people first in road traffic policy by developing pedestrian walkways and other measures.
Objectives
- Achieving the world's safest road traffic by reducing the annual number of road traffic fatalities to 5,000 or less by 2012.
- Reducing the annual number of road traffic fatalities to 5,500 or less by 2010.
- Reducing the annual number of any casualties to one million or less by 2010.
Measures
Four Viewpoints
- Coping with declining birthrate and aging society
- Considering that the Japanese population is expected to continue to rapidly age in the future, it is necessary to create a traffic society where elderly people will feel safe and secure.
- In order to realize a society where people can give birth and raise children without anxiety, further measures are required to protect children from traffic accidents.
- Securing safety for pedestrians
- In Japan, more than 30% of traffic accident fatalities are pedestrians. This percentage is relatively higher than that in the United States and European countries.
- In accordance with the principle of people first, the government will promote measures to secure safety for pedestrians by further developing pedestrian walkways for school routes, community roads, and thoroughfares in urban areas, and so forth.
- Encouraging citizens to improve their awareness
- All citizens in this traffic society should become fully aware of the risk of traffic accidents, with the ultimate objective of achieving a society with no traffic accidents.
- It is necessary to develop a mechanism that enables citizens to actively participate in creation of a safe and secure traffic society by carrying out traffic safety activities.
- Utilizing IT
- Information Technology (IT) is expected to contribute to traffic safety by supplementing shortcomings in people's cognitive ability and judgment, counteracting people's careless mistakes, and minimizing damage arising from such mistakes. Among others, the government will drive forward the initiative to develop Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
<Eight Pillars>
Improving the road traffic environment
(Vigorously implementing measures to provide people-oriented road traffic environment with safe and secure space to walk)
- Promoting the development of walkways for school routes, etc.
- “Safe Pedestrian Areas”
- “Manual for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents on Community Roads”
- “Road-for-Residents Zones”
- Traffic safety measures through the Priority Identification Process
- Accident prevention measures for black spots
- Utilizing intelligent transport systems
Comprehensively implementing traffic safety awareness initiatives
(Providing traffic safety education step by step, as well as improving elderly people's traffic safety awareness)
- Promoting traffic safety activities focused on citizens' participation, hands-on experience and practical implementation
- Promoting safety education for elderly people
- Promoting safe bicycle riding
- Promoting the use of seat belts by backseat passengers
- Promoting the use of reflective materials
- Promoting traffic safety initiatives by private organizations
- Promoting citizens' participation and collaboration
Securing safe driving
(Promoting driver's education for particularly elderly drivers)
- Enhancing measures focused on elderly drivers
- Promoting safe driving management
- Improving the supervision of motor carrier businesses
- Promoting the Trucking Business Safety Assessment Program
- Promoting the use of video-recording drive recorders
Ensuring vehicle safety
(Improving the safety measures for preventing accidents, as well as those for reducing damage)
- Developing and promoting advanced safe vehicles (ASV)
- Improving Japanese Industrial Standards
- Motor vehicle check and maintenance
- Improving and reinforcing the recall system
Maintaining road traffic order
(Tightening traffic rule enforcement focusing on particularly vicious, dangerous, and annoying traffic offenses)
- Identifying the true locus of responsibility for the accident
- Promoting guidance and enforcement concerning bicycle riders
- Strengthening the investigation systems for traffic offenses and traffic accidents
- Strengthening measures to crack down on motorcycle gangs
Enhancing rescue and emergency services systems
(Improving rescue and emergency services systems. In particular, the government will promote the implementation of first aid procedures)
- Promoting and educating first-aid measures with the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Developing and deploying emergency life-saving technicians
- Improving Help systems for Emergency Life saving and Public safety (HELP) and developing Fast Emergency Vehicle Preemption Systems (FAST)
- Promoting the use of a doctor's car
- Promoting the doctor’s helicopter project
Promoting victim support, including the appropriate compensation system
(Comprehensively promoting measures for traffic accident victims in a well planned manner under such acts as the Basic Act on Crime Victims, etc.)
- Strengthening measures to help victims claim damages
- Implementing measures with due consideration to victims' feelings
Enhancing R&D and study activities
(Implementing R&D in relevant areas of three basic factors (people, roads, and vehicles))
- Supporting safe driving
- Research on the traffic-related behavior of elderly people
- Application of IC to license plates and seals
- Enhancing comprehensive study to investigate the causes of traffic accidents
Railway Traffic
Basic Approach
Achieving a Society with No Railway Accidents
We will promote various safety measures to establish public confidence in railway traffic safety.
Objectives
- Bringing the number of passenger deaths to zero.
- Reducing the number of operational accidents.
Measures
Two Viewpoints
- Solving problems underlying individual accidents
- Utilizing the lessons learned from past accidents
Six Pillars
Improving the railway traffic environment
- Improving operational safety systems (Installation of ATS and other devices to prevent speeding)
- Reinforcing anti-earthquake measures for railways
Securing safe railway operation
- Improving education for and quality of railway crews and safety personnel
- Implementing safety audits for railway operators
Ensuring railway vehicle safety
Promoting victim support
Enhancing rescue and emergency services systems
Enhancing R&D and study activities
Traffic at Railway Crossings
Basic Approach
Achieving a Society with No Accidents at Railway Crossings
We will aim for a society with no level crossing accidents by continuing to comprehensively and actively implement measures to prevent level crossing accidents.
Objectives
- Reducing the number of accidents at level crossings by about 10% of the number in 2005, by 2010
Measures
View points
Implementing more effective measures in view of the conditions of each level crossing.
Four Pillars
Promoting replacement of level crossings with grade-separated crossings, structural improvements, and improvement of grade separation facilities for pedestrians
- Quick measures via structural improvements and drastic measures for grade separation at non-opening level crossings
Improving level crossing Maintenance facilities and implementing traffic restrictions
Promoting integration and elimination of level crossings
Implementing other measures to ensure safe and smooth traffic at level crossings
Maritime Traffic
Basic Approach
Achieving a Society with No Maritime Accidents
- Preventing the occurrence of maritime accidents.
- Carrying out search and rescue operations promptly and properly to save the lives of people on board.
Objectives
- Preventing the occurrence of large-scale maritime accidents that would close waterways in congested waters, reducing the number of such accidents to zero.
- Bringing the annual number of deaths and missing persons caused by maritime accidents and from falling overboard to 220 or less by 2010.
Measures
Two Viewpoints
- Promoting various measures continuously to prevent maritime accidents
- Improving and enhancing the systems for prompt and proper lifesaving
Nine Pillars
Improving the maritime traffic environment
- Developing the next-generation navigation support system that takes advantage of the automatic identification system (AIS)
Enforcing laws in maritime traffic
Disseminating knowledge on maritime safety
Enhancing rescue and emergency services activities
- Enhancing rescue and emergency services systems
Securing safe vessel navigation
- Strengthening the supervision of passenger ship operators
- Drastically reforming the pilotage system
Promoting victim support
Ensuring vessel safety
Enhancing R&D and study activities
Enhancing safety measures for small vessels
- Developing boat parks and fisharina (facilities for pleasure boats established at fishing ports)
- Implementing safety measures for fishing boats
- Implementing safety measures for pleasure boats
- Promoting the wearing of life jackets
- Obtaining maritime accident information as early as possible
Air Traffic
Basic Approach
Achieving a Society with No Maritime Accidents
- Reducing air traffic accidents.
- Preventing safety problems that might cause accidents.
Objectives
- Continuing to hold the record of no fatal accidentscaused by specified Japanese air carriers, which has been heldsince 1986.
Measures
Three Viewpoints
- Restoring public confidence in air traffic safety
- Increasing the airspace capacity
- Establishing a safer and more efficient air traffic system
Six Pillars
Improving the air traffic environment
- Improving the New Air Navigation System
- Enhancing air traffic services
- Expanding airspace capacity and promoting the effective use of airspace
- Strengthening disaster control measures for airports and aviation safety facilities
Securing aircraft operational safety
- Strengthening the supervision over air carriers
- Shifting the emphasis to prevention in traffic safety administration
Ensuring aircraft safety
Promoting victim support
Enhancing rescue and emergency services systems
Enhancing R&D and study activities
Special Notes:Comprehensive Safety Measures Implemented by Public Transportation Operators
Serious accidents and problems have frequently occurred in publictransportation, such asthe derailment of the JR West FukuchiyamaLine, and a seriesofproblems in air transportcaused by human errors or mechanical problems.There is a pressing need to restorepublicconfidence in public transportation.
In light of such circumstances, we will implement the following cross-sectoralmeasuresin addition to safety measures for the individual fields of transportation, i.e. automobile, rail-way, vessel, and aircraft.
- Establishing safety management systems and implementing continuous measures
- Developing technology to prevent accidents induced by human errors