Traffic accidents in Japan continued to rise every year until casualties reached approximately one million; more than 16,000 died in 1970. However, thanks to a concentrated promotion of various traffic safety measures based upon the Fundamental Traffic Safety Program in successive years, the number of lives claimed in traffic accidents were reduced nearly by half by 1979 as compared to that in 1970. The number of injured in 1977 was reduced to 60% of that in 1970. This trend, however, has reversed itself in the years that followed. Since 1982, for six consecutive years, the annual death toll in traffic accidents has exceeded 9,000. In order to fight against this situation in traffic accidents, in August 1988, the Head Office for Traffic Policy mapped out countermeasures called "the Urgent and Comprehensive Measures Concerning the Prevention of Traffic Accidents" including the following: (1) promotion of national consciousness on traffic safety (including nationwide traffic safety campaigns); (2) further development of traffic accident prevention measures concerning the elderly; (3) further promotion of accident prevention measures for mopeds and motorcycles especially among youth; and (4) through enforcement of use of seat belts. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 837684.
Abstract