Why “illegal mopeds” are rampant: Riding two people, jaywalking, wearing headphones, no license plate ……

It looked like a motorcycle, but it was a “bicycle.” ……

Gooooooooooooooooooo!

With an eerie road noise, something whizzed by the reporter at a high speed. It was a “bicycle,” but it was a “bike. Without pedaling at all, the “bicycle” accelerated uphill.

In recent years, “pedal-powered motorized bicycles,” or “mopeds,” have become a common sight. Their matte bodies, thick tires, and powerful forms are a perfect match for “chotai” fashion, and they have become a popular item among the younger generation.

Mopeds are now becoming a social problem.

What is the difference between a “moped” and an “electrically power assisted bicycle”? An “electrically power assisted bicycle” has a mechanism in which the motor is not driven unless the rider pedals, and the speed of the assist is limited to 24 km/h. This bicycle is treated as a “bicycle” under the Road Traffic Law. On the other hand, a “pedal-powered motorized bicycle,” called a moped, has pedals but can propel itself by motor without pedaling, and is classified as a “moped bike. Despite the similarities in appearance, the rules for riding on the road are completely different from those for bicycles.

On November 1, 2012, the revised Road Traffic Law was implemented, clearly stipulating that the rules and regulations for driving and violations regarding mopeds should be treated the same as those for motorized bikes and other vehicles. Furthermore, it was officially announced that “mopeds are treated as motorized bicycles or motor vehicles even if they run on pedals alone without a motor.

This means that a driver’s license is required to properly drive a moped, and that one must ride within 30 km/h and observe the two-step right turn. It is also mandatory to wear a license plate, to have liability insurance, to install safety parts such as mirrors and blinkers, and to wear a helmet.

What is exacerbating the problem is the rampant illegal modification of mopeds. Originally, the maximum speed of mopeds was restricted by each license category, but it is easy to obtain parts to modify mopeds to remove the limiter through the Internet. Last October, the Osaka Prefectural Police arrested three men, including a company employee, and sent two men in their 60s to prosecution on charges of violating the Trademark Law for selling limiter removal parts on a flea market site. This was the first case in Japan involving modified parts for electric bicycles.

While a moped riding on a public road at 50 km/h without a license plate would cause a big commotion, there is no end to the number of “illegal mopeds” who ignore the rules and ride without paying attention to the rules. What in the world has brought about this unusual situation?

Dangerous Driving Increases after Sunset

Mopeds, which appear to follow the rules during the daytime, often “change their behavior” after sunset. During the research for this article, we encountered a yakara-type man who ignored a red light while wearing headphones, a young man on a skateboard who ran alongside his friend’s moped, and a high-speed moped that overtook our magazine’s car running at 50 km/h. In addition to violations of traffic laws, dangerous behavior toward pedestrians and other vehicles also stands out. A cab driver in Tokyo lamented.

“I was waiting at a traffic light when I heard a terrible ‘boom! and a pizza was splattered on the body of the car. Immediately after that, the moppet accelerated and ran away. The takeout pizza I was holding in one hand must have been blown away by the impact of the collision. It was a fine hit-and-run, but since the body was undamaged, I just washed the car and did not report it.

It was nighttime and he was wearing dark clothing, so it was impossible to identify the culprit on the drive recorder. Worst of all, the moped did not have a license plate. It was impossible to determine the driver from the license plate number and they would get away with it. When you are dealing with a moped, you cry yourself to sleep even if you get hit. That’s frustrating.”

A shopkeeper in a shopping district in Minato Ward, Tokyo, expressed his outrage.

There are two types of moped drivers. One is those who have a bad reputation. When you warn them about ‘running on the sidewalk’ or ‘running the wrong way,’ they get upset and get angry, so they are very bad. The other type is foreigners who use mopeds for delivery. Their mopeds have large wheels and accelerate very fast once pedaled, so they are obviously modified vehicles. I have been seeing them since the Corona craze. They run at breakneck speed through shopping streets and don’t even pause to stop, which is scary. Even if you warn them, they run away, saying ‘nihongo gawakaranai’ (I don’t know anything about Japanese language), which makes them very dangerous.

Mopeds must have a sticker on their license plate, issued when they purchase liability insurance. Driving a moped without such insurance is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, and the driver’s license will be suspended immediately. However, many mopeds do not have license plates attached. Crackdowns are difficult, and as a result, illegal mopeds have become a contributing factor to the rampant illegal mopeds.

Stricter rules and a thorough crackdown on illegal mopeds are urgently needed.