Is the rising price of scrap steel the cause? Fear of “pitfall” accidents caused by the theft of “road lids” that are occurring all over the country.

Driving along the national and prefectural roads between Kimitsu City and Kamogawa City in Chiba Prefecture, one can see that gutter covers have fallen off everywhere. If the driver swerves the wheel incorrectly, the wheel could fall off the ditch and cause a serious accident.

In March of this year alone, 131 gutter covers (grating) made of steel were stolen. There are places so narrow that it is impossible for cars to slip through, and if they step out of line a little, cars and pedestrians can fall into the holes. At night, when it is dark and visibility is poor, just holding the steering wheel is a chilling experience.

Grating thefts have been occurring one after another across Japan. According to the National Police Agency, the number of metal thefts of copper wire, gutter covers, and other metal items was 7,549 in 2009. This is an increase of nearly 40% over the previous year.

The market price of scrap iron has soared more than fourfold in the past three years. Stolen items can be brought to buyers for money. Especially grating is often just stuck in the gutter, so trucks are parked on roads with few people at night and stolen in a short period of time,” said a reporter from a national newspaper.

(A reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department).

When we buy something, we ask the buyer to show identification and to sign an agreement that if the item is found to be stolen, we will report the theft to the police and claim compensation for damages. However, many thieves have no ability to repay. There have been cases where we have been forced to advance several million yen in order to return the purchased items to their owners.

The municipalities that manage the roads are considering changing to concrete lids and installing connecting fixtures as measures to prevent theft, but drainage and budget problems are preventing them from moving forward quickly. In Ibaraki Prefecture, which has the highest rate of metal theft in Japan, prefectural police are stressing the need for voluntary crime prevention.

The prefectural police are calling for the installation of security cameras in areas where there is a high rate of theft. We strongly encourage the installation of security cameras in areas where there is a high incidence of theft, and subsidize the installation of such cameras by municipalities.

In some cases, grating installed in the middle of the road, rather than on the side of the road, is stolen. If left unattended, a catastrophe could occur.

From the May 26, 2023 issue of FRIDAY