Terrifying footage that makes you tremble with fear.
A shocking video reveals the “reality of the accident” for an electric scooter rider who collided with a taxi while not wearing a helmet; the rider appears to be performing an electronic dance, looking just like an “electronic toy.”
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Why have accidents involving electric kick-scooters surged?
Under the revised Road Traffic Act implemented in Japan in July 2023, electric kick-scooters meeting specific criteria—such as a power output of 0.6 kW or less and a maximum speed of 20 km/h or less—are classified as “Specified Small Motorized Bicycles.” Individuals aged 16 and older may operate them on public roads without a driver’s license. Wearing a helmet is merely encouraged rather than mandatory, and there are no penalties for failing to wear one. However, operation by those under the age of 16 is prohibited; violations are punishable by imprisonment or fines.
According to data released by the National Police Agency, the number of related accidents and injuries rose sharply from four accidents and five injuries in 2020 (prior to the legal revision) to 41 accidents and 41 injuries (including one fatality) in 2022. Furthermore, in the three months immediately following the law’s implementation—July through September 2023—there were 38 accidents and 39 injuries, alongside 2,021 recorded traffic violations. While the convenience of not requiring a license or a mandatory helmet has fueled their widespread adoption, the reality is that this trend is overshadowed by a concurrent rise in accidents.
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