The Surprising Background of the Massive Outbreak of Outrageous Electric Kickboards

Accidents involving electric kickboards are becoming a social problem. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the number of accidents in the second half of 2008 was three, but in 2009, the number had skyrocketed to 60 as of the end of November. There have also been 16 reports of personal injury accidents. In September 2007, a 65-year-old woman riding a bicycle in Singapore died after a collision with an electric kickboard, and there have been fatal accidents overseas.

Automobile journalist Kumiko Kato explains the dangers.

Some models have a maximum speed of nearly 50 km/h. Under the Road Traffic Law, they are basically treated the same as motorized bicycles, and a license is required. You are required to wear a helmet and get a license plate. In addition, safety parts such as blinkers, mirrors and brake lights are also required, but the number of illegal bicycles that do not comply with these requirements is increasing.

In spite of the increase in the number of users, there has been no progress in raising awareness of the dangers. One male user in his twenties told this magazine, “I look around and see no one.

A male user in his twenties told this magazine, “When I look around, no one is wearing a helmet, and there are usually electric kickboards without license plates. I’ve been stopped by the police several times, but they always just give me a warning. They never say anything more than that.

Some users did not seem to take offense at all, and told us why they were riding illegally.

Some users, without seeming to take offense at all, explained why they were riding illegally: “It’s a kickboard. Why do you need a license plate?　It’s a kickboard. Why do I have to get a license plate?　It’s impossible. When I bought it at the home improvement store, they told me I couldn’t drive it on public roads, but I don’t have any problem with it. Of course I don’t have a license!”

Why have so many lawless people proliferated? The reason is that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) wants to popularize electric kickboards as “next-generation vehicles that are electric, emit no exhaust gas, and are environmentally friendly,” and safety management has become lax. The reason is that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry wants to promote electric kickboards as “the next generation of environmentally friendly vehicles.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has been pushing for deregulation in order to make electric kickboards easier to use. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been pushing for deregulation to make it easier to use electric kickboards. This has led to a mix of no-helmet drivers, and the repercussions have been felt at the scene of the crackdown.

An acquaintance of mine at the Metropolitan Police Department told me, “It’s difficult to crack down on them when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is working on deregulation. It has become a lawless situation where people are not caught even if they are driving illegally.

In December 2009, in response to the rapid increase in injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department finally took action. In December 2009, in response to the rapid increase in injuries, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department finally decided to issue traffic tickets to malicious offenders in Tokyo. Mr. Makihiko Sato, a sales representative of the e-SCOOTER SHOP tAMO, a store specializing in the sale of e-SCOOTERs, said.

Driving without a license or without a helmet is just dangerous and has no benefit. We want users to be more aware of this. The police and the government need to respond flexibly, for example by strengthening penalties according to the situation.

Human life should be prioritized over the environment.

From the January 7-14, 2022 issue of FRIDAY