Number of road traffic accidents involving pedal cyclists in Japan 2012-2021

In 2021, Japan recorded approximately 69.69 thousand accidents involving cyclists in Japan, increasing from roughly 67.67 thousand in the previous year. Although the overall trend is encouraging, there is still some way to go until the National Police Agency can announce zero fatalities.

What there is to know about bicycle accidents in Japan

Bicycle accidents tended to be situations where the bicycle collided at a crossing with another vehicle, mostly automobiles. Most often, the violation recorded was the failure to make a safety check. In slightly more than 15 thousand cases, the bicycle rider's negligence was the most severe among the parties involved. Accidents happened to cyclists of all ages, but disproportionally to 15- to 19-year-olds (high-schoolers). Around nine in ten cyclist casualties were fortunate enough to get away with minor injuries. However, as most cyclists do not wear helmets, head injuries have been frequent. Timewise, bicycle accidents in Tokyo peaked during the rush hours from 8 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm.

Prefectures increasingly demand bicycle liability insurance

Within the past years, more and more prefectures have made it mandatory for bicycle users to take out liability insurance – insurance companies profit from this legislation. Regularly, they interview bikers throughout Japan on their insurance status: According to one survey, hardly two in three bikers had liability insurance. The margin of the insured between mandating and non-mandating prefectures was modest, probably because the authorities do not aggressively reinforce the rules. Yet, all top-ranking regions had introduced respective legislation. Further investigation showed awareness of mandatory insurance in such prefectures was decisive, suggesting a potential for insurance campaigns.