By DAICHI ITAKURA/ Staff Writer
September 12, 2024 at 16:38 JST
A woman shows her child's helmet. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The National Police Agency said on Sept. 12 that the rate of helmet usage among cyclists in Japan rose to 17 percent this year, up 3.5 percentage points from last year.
Cyclists have been required to "make an effort" to wear helmets since last year, as 90 percent of cyclists who died in accidents were not wearing one.
While helmet use is slowly spreading, there are still regional differences, with some prefectures showing significantly lower usage rates. The NPA said it will continue encouraging people to wear them.
The NPA conducted the survey in July at two locations in each prefecture―near train stations and commercial facilities.
The survey was conducted during the standard morning work and school commute time frame from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m. when shoppers are typically out in the afternoon.
By prefecture, Ehime had the highest rate of helmet use for the second year in a row at 69.3 percent, an increase of 9.4 percentage points from last year.
Oita followed at 48.3 percent and Gunma was next at 40.4 percent.
On the other hand, usage was particularly low in Osaka at 5.5 percent, Chiba at 6.5 percent and Hyogo at 7.7 percent.
During the five years until 2023, 1,898 people died in accidents while riding bicycles; 1,780 of them were not wearing helmets and many suffered head injuries.
In accidents resulting in head injuries, cyclists without helmets are 1.5 times more likely to die compared to those wearing helmets, according to the NPA.
The number of fatalities in accidents where cyclists were the primary or secondary party at fault has been declining. In 2023, 341 people died in such accidents, a decrease of around 250 people compared to 10 years earlier.
Fatal accidents in 2023, categorized by type of violation, showed that improper handlebar control was the most common cause, accounting for 13.8 percent.
This was followed by failure to proceed safely at intersections, neglecting to check their surroundings and running red lights.
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