New speed limit
On September 1st there was a new driving law that affected all of Japan.
What is 生活道路?
Can you explain the new speed limit?
Vocabulary:
residential road = narrow road without a centre line or raised sidewalks
pedestrian = person walking
sidewalk (US) = pavement (UK) = place people walk next to the road
Basically the speed limit on all residential roads has been reduced from 60km/h to 30km/h.
Why did the government do this?
The main reason is to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
Around 35% of all traffic accidents occur on residential roads.
In 2025 there were 2,547 people killed in traffic accidents in Japan - the lowest number in 50 years.
The chance of death is around 1% if a car is driving at 30km/h
| Country | 2025 Road Fatalities | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 36,640 | Road deaths went down by 6.7%. This was the second-lowest rate in U.S. history. |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2,549 | Road deaths went up for the first time in 13 years. Many accidents involved older drivers. |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 2,547 | Total road deaths dropped to the lowest number ever, but accidents on small neighborhood roads went up. |
| 🇬🇧 Great Britain | 1,538 | Road deaths went down by 4% compared to the year before. |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 1,314 | Road deaths went up for the fifth year in a row. Most accidents happened on quiet country roads. |
Some people are unhappy with the rule change. Why?
lack of signs
delivery drivers
unfair to countryside
あおり運転
lack of signs:
Many drivers complain there are no signs showing the new speed limit so sometimes it’s difficult to realize when you start driving on a residential road
delivery drivers / taxi drivers
They argue the new rule will severely slow down their delivery schedule. Many packages will be late and drivers will have to work longer to deliver the same number of packages or passengers. Delivery costs for all residents may rise.
unfair to the countryside
Countryside residents believe the law change is unfair. The city has many main roads but in the countryside there are many more residential roads.
Should a farm road in Hokkaido have the same rules as busy roads in Tokyo?
あおり運転
tailgate = when someone drives too close to the car in front to pressure them to speed up
road rage = when drivers start fighting or arguing
Some drivers complain this new law will increase the risk of tailgating. “If I follow the speed limit, the car behind me may tailgate, honk at me or flash their lights.” It could result in road rage