Spate of accidents reported with drivers in wrong lane; one trucker killed

Thursday 22nd January, 06:41 AM JST

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nonchalant at 11:14 AM JST - 22nd January

I think driving the wrong way on highways happens quite a bit around the world. I know I've read reports of it in the US and growing up in Austria I remember radio announcements about "Ghost Driver" alerts (usually at night and I think it often turned out they had been drinking - shock). How they could get the message off on the radio in less time than tracking down the culprit - pre-cell phone days, and I think before everything was as video-monitored as it is today - is something of a mystery to me.
soldave at 12:31 PM JST - 22nd January

The man was quoted as saying, "I was not aware that I was driving on an expressway."

So driving on normal roads on the wrong side of the road is ok?
medievaltimes at 12:34 PM JST - 22nd January

Too many Japanese look on passively when someone else is in trouble. This isn't to say that it happens every time but I've seen it way too many times.

My experience as well.
isthistheend at 12:43 PM JST - 22nd January

Al the above comments ring a bell. Once I saw a 20-something guy know an old geezer on 50cc over (in motion) with his elbow as he was J-walking. the old guy went down and out like a light, an ambulence was called, the J-walker was smiling and stayed in the vacinity of downtown crowded street, and NOONE came forth to tell the real story. In disbelief, I walked up to the cop questioning the J-walker and indicated that it was an intentional and unnecessary elbow/shove by the youngster maliciously making trouble for the elder, but then the police wanted to get my license, name, etc. and I said forget it and walked away. Earlier in the month I had gotten involved in another such incident and learned my lesson "not to get involved" or as written above, you become involved and needlessly used by this system as no one else will stand up in times of trouble. I wonder how they get the gropers on the trains so easily? Are abused females the only ones who stand up for themselves in this country?
borscht at 12:58 PM JST - 22nd January

These were on an expressway, right? Now, isn't there a gate or something where you have to take a ticket? Didn't the truck driver notice the ticket machine was backwards? And that all the cars seemed to be coming from one direction? I'm a bit confused (as were a couple of the drivers) how one can get on an expressway backwards.

Moeditors,

A truck which was traveling on the wrong side of the Chuo Expressway in Tokyo rammed into an incoming large-sized truck, killing the driver of the truck.

What is an 'incoming' truck? One that is driving legally? Or one that was merging on to the expressway.
Mz at 01:57 PM JST - 22nd January

I don't see how you can get onto an expressway going the wrong way. Certainly not via an expressway entrance. TW0026 - well done. Nonchalant - good Samaritans do exist here, but they are few. A foreign friend was knocked from his motorbike while out in the countryside and was badly hurt. A Japanese man stopped, called an ambulance, waited and travelled in the ambulance with him, then stayed a few hours at the hospital to translate for him. On the other hand, I stopped my car to help a man who had collapsed in middle of the road near my home. The car in front of me drove round him and the car behind me hooted and drove round me and him. A passing workman and I carried him out of harm's way. It actually turned out he was drunk - at 11.30am - (you couldn't tell - not that it should make any difference!). It seems generally that people here either "don't notice" or don't want to get involved.
dennis0bauer at 03:08 PM JST - 22nd January

i can not understand how you cannot notice that you are on the wrong side of the road. Hey the other lane is on the wrong side and i see red lighs. maybe those white lights coming towards me is also a hint.
Rogerrabbitt at 03:23 PM JST - 22nd January

Dont ever forget to be the good samaritan, no matter what country you are in, you could save someones life! Never mind the JP system and the JPs reluctance to help. That is how it is here you might feel like critisizing the population but this is their culture. Its not for us as foreigners to judge. If you se a situation that merrits attention do not be afraid to assist. I read all the comments and have seen first hand many incidents, one in particular I was driving down a busy road with shops and people, an old guy on his bike a hundred mtrs ahead suddenly wobbled crashed and dived into the ditch half on and off his bike. This was at a set of traffic lights, the lights change twice and everyone drove around him. When I was two cars away I jumped out a rendered assistance, he was out cold and barely breathing. I called the emergency services and as luck had it there was an ambulance station a few minutes away. And yes the other drivers honked and complained at me blocking the lights, but who gives a damn, a life is far more important. Theres a saying that what you give in life you get back in life. The guy had a sizure, he lived. The ambulance crew were brilliant, they passed my number to his family and thay later rang to say thank you. Its not all bad here in JP just different to what we as westerners are used to. Less said.
Wakarimasen at 03:49 PM JST - 22nd January

I find that a higher proportion of Japanese drivers are completely useless than I have found elsewhere in the (first) world. Lane drift, shooting lights, no signals, no concentrating, parking in ost ridiculous places and (per this article) driving wrong way down expressway.
gaijinboy at 03:49 PM JST - 22nd January

Perhaps not all of these individuals were necessarily driving on the wrong side of the road, but maybe some were just passing. In any case, a dangerous situation.

I was almost a statistic in this article. Two days ago, a k-truck popped into the wrong side of the road (my lane) to pass a large truck that was waiting to turn. He ignored the solid yellow line dividing the traffic for both directions. I think he was as shocked as I was. He slammed on his breaks and stopped just before hitting me.

If you can't see around the vehicle in front of you, then it is not safe to pass, as it was not safe for him nor I yesterday. Oh, and BTW, if the line dividing both directions of traffic is yellow, you cannot pass, either. The person I encountered yesterday put lives in jeopardy by ignoring both safe guidelines.
Richard_the_First at 05:31 PM JST - 22nd January

Gaiinboy,

The solid yellow doesn't mean you can't drive around a stationary obstacle, just not cross the line to overtake a moving vehicle. If it did, every bus in the Tokyo suburbs would cause huge jams. Of course you should yield to oncoming traffic, if the obstacle is in your lane.
DeepAir65 at 05:33 PM JST - 22nd January

The man was quoted as saying, ‘‘I was not aware that I was driving on an expressway.’’

To which the policeman replied so I was not aware you had a license - well you don't now!
borscht at 07:15 PM JST - 22nd January

Gaijinboy,

Expressways have concrete barriers between traffic lanes going in opposite directions. And sometimes they are double-decker roads. Or am I missing the meaning of expressways?
ca1ic0cat at 09:50 PM JST - 22nd January

Elderly drivers often become a danger to road users in general without anybody noticing. My MIL (86 y/o) had two accidents in a month (both her fault, but she wasn't issued a citation). I insisted that her license be reviewed. After a short drive on quite streets she was given a new license.

Be careful out there!
whitepocky at 06:01 PM JST - 23rd January

Not wanting to pillar the local community here, but my own personal experience puts the good samaritan into two categories: 1) You have an affiliation of some sort with a group and so are helped accordingly. 2) You are not affiliated with the group and hence are basically given the bird!! Treat one how you would like to be treated yourself, I don't think it translates well into Japanese. Good on those who do assist those in moments of need, though I bet they are gawped at for doing such a deed!!!

As for the elderly drivers. It's not only Japan that suffers from this. I remember hearing about these in the UK when I was growing up.