Road rage spat turns into hit-and-run in Osaka Pref

RR is on the increase here.

It sure is! I have this recurring dream that the next time some moron stops in the middle of the lane to yak on his call phone I pull out my RPG and blast him into a million pieces! Japanese drivers are some of the most self-centered in the world!

I gotta get me one of those side-view mirrors for those that like to cross outside the crosswalk.

What doesn't kill them, may smarten 'em up.

Everybody should be ready to note down a number plate if they're out on the streets

I hope the dude make a quick recovery... however, I wonder if he got out of his truck just to intimidate the other guy. Truck drivers here think they own the road.

I agree with Legit -- probably the truck driver caused the initial conflict by driving aggressively...

Road rage is prolific in japan although, it usually fizzles out pretty quickly with a quick get away. I saw one a few weeks ago where a driver being harassed by a light-truck driver accelerated out of the intersection straight into another car. I've seen quite a few of these hasty get-aways but only the one ending in an accident. I've also seen many 'toughies' tailgating and yelling abuse from the safety of their cars. You can bet the truck driver in this situation had jumped out of his cab to serve some toughness onto this car driver.

The fact that the truck driver was out of his truck and approaching the 27-year-old's car at all puts him in the wrong in the first place. It also suggest that he may have been a major asshat as well. A lot of truck drivers can be. But that doesn't mean he deserved to get run over and dragged a hundred meters. Hope he recovers, but I also hope he learns something from this.

I've also noticed an increase in some really aggressive driving on Japanese roads of late. Tailgating seems to be the method de jour of working out aggression towards other drivers, but I've also witnessed a-hole drivers slam on their brakes in freeflowing traffic to "scare" the driver behind them, for whatever reason.

Road rage is some weird stuff. It can make otherwise sane, pleasant people turn into stark raving loons out to kill.

I have RR everytime I drive here. If the cops actually gave tickets to people for things like not stopping at crosswalks, going through red lights and only using the right lane to pass I think everyone would be a to happier. I've been giving the one finger salute to many, many folks these days that will hurt someone with their driving.

I don't think that road rage here is a problem .. unless I'm driving of course but there are a number of really bad drivers out there Truck drivers are one of the worst offenders closely followed by Taxis drivers who seem to think that it's ok to stop, blocking a road to pick up a fare !!! grrr and don't get me started on scooters

Truck drivers/Dump truck drivers drive like they own the roads in Japan. They almost always ignore changing red lights and drive 1) while on their cell phones and 2) waaaaay over the speed limits. Not a good combo. Ever notice that the police almost always pull over citizens in their private cars and hardly ever truck drivers/dump truck drivers? What's up with that?

probably the truck driver got what he deserved if he behaved like most of the truck drivers in Japan (although JT does not specify what caused the conflict, it is a reasonable guess to say that it could have been the truck driver's driving style).

What a complete moron, don't they teach anyone to stop if they hit someone?

delrennich: The guy is a truck driver, he was just standing there, nothing to do his truck.

Wow I thought I was the only one who taught Japanese are horrible on the road. Calling while driving. Not stopping in front of a zebra. Always thinking they own the road. Its really really bad. Dont know about truckdrivers actually , but usually just normal cars and of course Taxi's. But I still think its fairly safe compared to Holland. People will actually get out of their car and brawl there.

An eyewitness noted Tsujimoto’s license plate

Good to hear that somebody was paying attention. I hope the injured guy recovers.

Put yourself in the driver's situation. If he stops, the truck driver beats the tar out of him. If he keeps going, the guy will get injured. This is a weird situation. They got themselves into a situation they could not get out of.

You know even with all the bad drivers, do you ever wonder why road rage barely makes headlines in Japan? No guns. Plain and simple. No matter how angry someone gets, they know they cannot kill someone and get away with it. What are you going to do, beat your fists on someone's windshield until you bloody yourself up? Hold on to their rearview mirror and let the other driver drag you around? That'll show em.

Gotta love it. Many years ago, some wiseguy decided Japan should have no guns, universal healthcare, and lots of video games, and it has made all the difference.

Wow, I am impressed how he or she hooked the dude...or was that person actually try to clip him. I play cop on the streets of Tokyo and must say it is quite funny because they get more pissed off than me. If i see a driver driving recklessly, I go into pursuit and either highbeam them or honk them... had one dude stop in the middle of traffic on a two way road and get out of his car. I then proceeded to take out my golf club from the back seat and then he proceeded to get back into his car.

JA_Cruise: talk about being the problem.

gogogo, Yeah, maybe but if you let these war hogs rule the streets and just accept everything then nothing changes. What's so wrong about being Batman? And the incident with me taking out my 7 iron, self protection and would have only used it as a last resort. Be weak and you will get taken advantage of..