'Bosozoku' dangerous driving cases hit record high in 2008

Thursday 05th February, 07:31 AM JST

TOKYO —

Police took action against dangerous driving by ‘‘bosozoku’’ hot-rodder gangs in a record 307 cases in 2008, up 19 cases from the previous year, the National Police Agency said in a report released Thursday. The NPA attributed the increase to a road traffic law revision in 2004 that allowed police to take action—questioning, arresting and sending papers to prosecutors—against gang members for dangerous driving simply by confirming that group driving was taking place.

Police took action against 35,800 individual violations of the road traffic law by gang members in 2008, down 2.4% from the previous year, of whom 2,800 were involved in dangerous group driving, up 8.2%. The NPA said the number of ‘‘bosozuku’’ gangs totaled 651 in 2008, down 15.1%, and that their combined membership fell 8.5% to 11,516, falling for the 10th year in a row.

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Latest 15 of 17 Total Comments Show All

timeon at 12:08 PM JST - 5th February

the irony is that if you beat the crap out of one of these losers, you probably end up in jail. imagine that the police couldn't do anything with them before 2004!
nisegaijin at 01:22 PM JST - 5th February

Hoserfella, i'm with ya on this!! hahahahaha!!

cops should shot them on sight..

last summer though high gas prices seemed to have affected them. i only saw like one in enoshima, and he wasn't revvin it. seemed to be saving gas
JapanHusker at 02:46 PM JST - 5th February

I'd gladly pay the high prices of gas last summer to douse them with it and light it aflame.
Yelnats at 02:54 PM JST - 5th February

I love the motorcycle gangs. They are so funny. Fun to talk with. Mostly a bunch of good kids enjoying the freedom to not get run down by the police.
timorborder at 03:27 PM JST - 5th February

Yeah, real funny bunch of guys these bikers, they really make me laugh. A couple of years ago one Sunday morning a group of 10 or so tired to give me free reconstructive surgery out the front of a convenience store. Luckily for me, a friend was able to dissuade them....through destroying one of their bikes with his teeth.

I agree with the general mood of this thread, the police should import some Kangaroo Bars (Bullbars) from Australia and declare open season on these "fun-loving" kids.
dennis0bauer at 03:29 PM JST - 5th February

the obvious would be ban Bosozoku gangs
pointofview at 04:03 PM JST - 5th February

I`ve seen these people countless times running lights and revving up their bikes in the downtown area of Toyohashi and Hamamatsu with the cops just watching them. And how do they know how many gangs exist? do they have a registry for them? Come on. The law is too lenient for these troublemakers. I wonder if the cops are just intimidated...

the irony is that if you beat the crap out of one of these losers, you probably end up in jail

Very true. Even if I had to defend myself I`d still be worried about this happening.
mindovermatter at 04:48 PM JST - 5th February

the irony is that if you beat the crap out of one of these losers, you probably end up in jail

Very true. Even if I had to defend myself I`d still be worried about this happening.

Easy... Don't take any action if you are under the surveillance or watchful eye of a security camera, and don't do it in broad day-light...

Trust me... It works....

These bozo's are like your typical yakuza punk, they will run away and piss their pants if they are cornered "alone" and on a dark alley... Their strength is in Numbers....

Remember, there is no such thing as a "Fair" fight... When you take action, do it like you mean it... That "Jackie Chan" crap is only in the movies...And don't hang around afterwards...

Violent "accidents" happen everyday...

Cheers!
BBLeo at 08:08 PM JST - 5th February

Change the law for bad drivers. If they offend the third time, confiscate their vehicles and burn them, and serve them with couple years behind the bars, and suspend their driving permits for five years.
McC72 at 12:14 AM JST - 6th February

BBLeo, You have a funny suggestion. Burn the cars because their drivers were reckless??Come again.
jeancolmar at 12:29 AM JST - 6th February

I've noticed a near total disappearance of bosozuku in my area over the last decade or so. I cannot explain it. I usual bad and creepy drivers, the supposedly normal people, are still very much around.
Taka313 at 03:01 AM JST - 6th February

Jean,

I'm not sure where you live, but, in Southern Kanagawa and Southern Chiba, we saw more than in any time over the last 15 years between the summer of 2007 and late summer 2008 (consensus opinion of myself, my wife and 3 or 4 of my friends with whom the subject arose, no factual data).

Taka
Good_Jorb at 03:18 AM JST - 6th February

Without the Bosozoku how would you know it's spring time?
plumcrzytoo at 03:38 AM JST - 8th February

A cop in Okinawa was actually fined and dismissed in 2004 for knocking one of these a##h###s off his bike with a baton. This was after the punk had rode by the first time and hit him with a soda/coffee can in the face. So he came by again and the cop bashed him. Broke his arm and two ribs. Now tell me, the cop was hit by this piece of scum, takes him out for it and he gets canned.?????? Typical Japanese court logic. I have heard that they can now be arrested just for being in the gang...is this true? Are they even enforcing that? Or is it like every other law they pass? IE not using your ketai while driving. Yea right. That's ok I got one last summer, he wasn't around for awhile. Wake up JP's do your job.
Youdontknow at 01:50 PM JST - 10th February

These idiots deserve the hamburger treatment as suggested by Horsefellaz! If one of them hit my car (note the sarcasm) I'd kick the ever-living ess heych eye tea out of him - down or not, get my money's worth!! One rode past my house last week, 3AM, revving his bike up. Woke my son up in tears so I went out and 'had a word'. Cops came round the next day to question me about it but were met with the fury of my Japanese wife about it all. They haven't been back since. I'd gladly be for putting every one of these morons into the Armed Forces and sending them to Iraq for 3 years! See how tough they are then huh!