Car rental firms in Japan are stepping up their efforts to prevent accidents involving foreign visitors. They’re working to improve awareness of traffic rules and signs.
Japan has seen a dramatic increase in foreign tourists. With this has been a rise in traffic accidents involving vehicles driven on international licenses.
An official at an institute which analyzes traffic accident data says that fatal accidents involving foreign drivers in rental cars have tripled over the last 3 years.
81 were recorded in 2016, including one in which a 3-year-old boy was killed in Hokkaido last year.
The transport ministry is now planning to identify accident-prone spots in 5 regions, including Okinawa and Hokkaido, which are popular among foreign tourists using rental cars.
Officials will study data from both toll collection systems and drive recorders to determine where foreign language signs should be posted.
One major rental car rental company has been handing out a booklet with driving tips in English, Chinese and Korean. Staff also explain traffic signs.
Another company places a sticker on rental cars to show that the driver has an international license.
Source and image: NHK
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