Bike laws in Japan set to change

Almost everyone I know here in Japan uses a bicycle to get around, at least some of the time. For my first 12 months of living in Japan, the only method of transport I owned was a bike! I like that for the most part here, drivers are considerate of cyclists, and there's a good deal of cycling infrastructure. It's a bike-friendly country!

In saying that, it's always important to follow the rules when you're on a bike, in the same way as you'd be expected to if you were driving a car. A bill was just passed that will stipulate 113 bicycle-related offenses, which will be applicable to anyone aged 16 years old or above. 

Pic Credit: Chris Barbalis via Unsplash

One of the key revisions mentioned in the news article above was riding a bike under the influence of alcohol, which isn't something that currently has legal repercussions. Moving forward, riding a bike if you've been drinking will carry a jail term of up to three years or a fine of 500,000 yen – so make sure you're not drinking and biking, in the same way that you wouldn't drink and drive.

The exact implementation dates of the new legislation weren't specifically mentioned, it just noted a broad term of the next two years.