Safety Commissioner Gripes About Police Traffic Enforcement

Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, Furya Keiji, at a press conference yesterday.

Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, Furya Keiji, at a press conference yesterday.

The chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, Furuya Keiji, has gained the overwhelming support of netizens for his recent statements on police traffic violation enforcement in areas where it is unnecessary.

This article from Yomiuri Online already has over 30,000 likes on Facebook, along with thousands of re-tweets. In fact, netizens agreed so strongly with Furuya’s statement that this article became the most read, shared, and commented on article of the day.

From Yomiuri Online:

National Public Safety Commission Chairman’s Complaints Over Traffic Violation Crackdown

At the regular scheduled press conference following the cabinet meeting on June 4, Furuya Keiji, chairman of the National Public Safety Commission complained that “There is tendency to enforce things for the sake of enforcing them” with regard to police enforcement of traffic violations, and suggested that it would be necessary to review the current state of affairs.

Furuya indicated that “It is important that enforcement is actually useful in preventing traffic accidents”. He gave the example of two-lane straight roads with no pedestrians being restricted to 50 km/h, and stated that “In the flow of traffic, cars travel at around 70 km/h. I have doubts about clamping down on enforcement in places like this”. In Europe, traffic regulations are strictly enforced in towns where the roads are narrow and there are a lot of pedestrians.

Comments from Twitter:

おくだ:

A great man has appeared before us.

プリティー:

Isn’t this obvious? The way they do it now, I would only have violations.

真尋ぞ?我、人類最強の真尋ぞ?:

Spot on.

ANSETT AUSTRALIA:

Oh w Now you’re talking! There must be more effective ways/places they can use to reduce traffic accidents.

k1(ケイイチ)motorman:

I can only think of these as remarks from a driver who has no idea of the speed of my car when I’m driving.

Yukinobu Toba:

I think that even if you’re going at 70km/h, then safe roads should still be restricted to 70km/h as a maximum speed.

オイカワ:

I don’t wanna be the bait for some cop who’s trying to reach his quota! They must have plenty of other things to do!

川上博司 HiroshiKawakami:

Been saying this for ages, clamping down for the sake of clamping down…They go easy on their colleagues though…I think that his remark that “It is important that enforcement is actually useful in preventing traffic accidents”, is extremely sensible.

南條 浩輝:

Oh I like what he’s saying!

たいぷななさん:

What we must not forget is the protection of the pedestrians who are crossing the road.
No matter how wide a road is, if there are pedestrians waiting on the pavement, you have to stop.
Therefore, because of this we must drive at a speed where we can stop safely.

MK:

Wow. Magnificent. I’ve actually been charged in the past on a road where the signage was hidden by a tree and I couldn’t see it. When I told them that if it was all for safety, then they should move the bloody sign first, they threatened me w.

ひがなる:

Clamping down for the sake of clamping down…police enforcement is dirty. They hide in the shadows, and when there’s a car that’s made a violation, they triumphantly sound their siren and come out after you. I guess that’s how they earn their pocket money. If they’re doing it for the money, then get serious about car theft.

石井マサヒロ:

He’s totally right.

ロッテ好きな大喜利主戦士26:

Drivers: “Too right! (*`へ´*)”
Police: “Can’t do anything about it, it’s so we can reach our quotas”.

ヨンさま@イ弗:

(#`Д´)凸 The traffic division on their white bikes and stuff are an infestation to citizens! Scorch ’em out!

hide 06/04:

He’s got a good point there. Because as it stands, enforcement itself is getting in the way, and there are a lot of instances where this is dangerous.

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