Photo/Illutration A man cycles while using a smartphone in Tokyo on Oct. 22. This photo is blurred for privacy reasons. (Shun Yoshimura)

Bicyclists caught pedaling while under the influence of alcohol or using a smartphone face tougher penalties including potential jail time under the revised Road Traffic Law, which takes effect on Nov. 1.

These behaviors pose a high risk of serious accidents, and have already caused numerous fatalities and significant injuries.

However, raising public awareness of these revised rules has been a challenge.

Until now, cycling while talking on or looking at a smartphone was penalized under prefectural public safety commission regulations, with fines of up to 50,000 yen ($326).

The revised law will impose stricter penalties, including up to six months in prison or fines of up to 100,000 yen. Even harsher penalties will apply if these bicyclists cause an accident.

Accidents involving distracted cyclists on smartphones have been rising nationwide.

According to the National Police Agency, in the five years up to 2023, there were two fatal accidents and 100 serious injury cases in which distracted cyclists on phones were the primary or secondary parties at fault.

Of these 102 cases, 21 involved cyclists talking on the phone, while 81 were linked to cyclists watching videos or looking at their screens for other reasons. More than half of the cyclists involved were under 20 years of age.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department surveyed intersections across the country from December 2023 to January 2024.

It found that an intersection in Tokyo’s Akihabara district had the most cases of smartphone use while bicycling.

In a reporter’s observation in late October, 108 cyclists passed through the intersection between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

At least four were seen using smartphones while bicycling―three held a smartphone in one hand, either focused on the screen or interacting with it, while one was talking on the phone.

An 18-year-old high school senior riding with his smartphone in his left hand said he was replying to a friend’s message: “When I hear an app notification, I get curious and end up checking it.”

He also confessed that he had nearly collided with other cyclists several times because of his phone use.

The high schooler said he didn’t know that it would become a traffic law violation starting in November.

“It’s dangerous, and I don’t want to get caught by police,” he said. “From now on, I’ll stop my bicycle before using my phone.”

Restaurants are also being asked to raise awareness, as cycling under the influence will soon carry penalties.

Until now, only cases where the cyclist was in an intoxicated state and unable to ride safely were penalized.

Under the revised law, the standard for bicycling under the influence will be the same as that for drivers: a breath alcohol concentration of 0.15 milligrams or more per liter.

Penalties for cycling under the influence include up to three years in prison or fines of up to 500,000 yen.

Those who knowingly serve alcohol to someone intending to ride are also subject to penalties.

(This article was written by Shun Yoshimura and Daichi Itakura.)

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