Drink-driving Laws Are Harsh...

[GTR-N1]

Rei Suzuki's death and pursuant to that, the activist approach by his grieving mother has prompted the Diet to act.

To fragment the 'drink and then drive' culture in Japan, the new laws (if reported correctly) have had an impact on how society thinks and now disapproves of drink-driving behaviour nowadays eh?

Detection of drink-driving through extra police vigilance and testing has dropped 40%?

Is that right?

It is also an endictable offence to be a passenger with a drink-driver?

It is an endictable offence to serve alcohol to a patron, knowing that he's already intoxicated and knowing that he's about to drive?

It is an endictable offence to loan a car to a person who has been drinking?

Is all of this changing the culture of drinking in Japan, you guys over there (or have come back from there)?

[GTR-N1]

Oh yes...!

I omitted that small point!

Being caught Drink-Driving is a Gaolable 'der Jailable offence!

[elrodeo666]

hasnt stopped me in the slightest..on a 7 day bender and way things are going it probably wont stop until after Toyko Austo salon..

Yep they changed the laws couple years back.. there was a spate of fatal accidents which drink drivers were involved so japanese did their normal knee jerk action and came up with the zero tolerance laws. Before that it was usually loss of licence and 300,000 yen fine.

When I first came here, drink driving was the norm, absolutely no problem with it but after numerous accidents and deaths they came up with the changes.

Dont get me wrong as I reckon its great as there are already too many useless drivers on the road here let alone to have drunk ones as well.

As far as reducing the amount od DUI's..definitely had an impact on people I know..no-one takes the risk now, just party all night or get raped by taxi prices but no way frive..

As far as gaijins are involved, most long termers here I know that have been here since it was a free for all to now just leave the car at home.

[elrodeo666]

Another thing people coming here are not really aware of is that you can be arrested and held in jail for up to 28 days no ifs and buts, the whole time going thru daily interogations which could last up to 5 hours at a time. No rights, no priveleges.

For example..say you come over for TAS..get on the turps and decide it be easier to borrow one of the many pushbikes lying around to get back to your hotel. This sort of thing is and hsa been going on for ages.

The cops see you riding and decide to stop you and check the rego on the pushy ( yep your supposed to register your bike when you buy new or 2nd hand) .

Cops realise its not your bike so off to the station you go..now if your lucky your just going to get a lecture, but if your not , the cops can lock you up for up to 28days with no charges. Say you came in a touris visa, well after release its deportation and a black mark on your name and possibly up to 5-8 years before being allowed back in. Plus get fined for costs of jail time!!

I've known heaps of crew, foreigners and japanese alike locked up for misdemeanors and had to do jail time.

Edited January 1, 2009 by elrodeo666

[GTR-N1]

betta not to arrive in drag then. might end up in a women's jail

[adam87]

all my friends are shocked when i tell them that in australia you can drink and drive.

they are all young so wouldnt really know what it was like before the rules came in for zero tolerance.

so the younger generation probably havent been affected by it too much

Edited January 1, 2009 by adam87

[Beer Baron]

yes, if you are SUSPECTED or accused of a crime japanese police can put you in jail and they are allowed 28 days 'investigation time'. ie you do not even have to be charged with a crime! in australia obviously you must be charged with a crime before you can be detained, but not so in japan. at the end of the 28days then you must either be charged or released. it's pretty nasty and a pretty rude shock to any gaijin unlucky enough to get in a tangle with japanese police.

[Laurence]

Japanese police are scum... There are no words to describe the vehemence of my hatred towards them.

The law is on their side and they have a long history of bullshit charges, botched investigations and forced confessions.

Avoid them at all costs, unless you have one in front of a bulldozer you are driving.

Edited January 3, 2009 by Laurence

[elrodeo666]

A mate of mine just got plastered all over national tv last week. He owns a night club here in sapporo and and has had it for years, yep they have had the odd night of trouble as its popular gaijin haunt but just the odd drunk throwing a punch or 2 and after being kicked out..

They showed massive raid/operation on tv cop programme. There is stupid law that technically you cant dance in a venue after midnight. He was DJ'ing and there were a few crew bopping along when bang, the keystone cops raided the joint. Its a loophole law they use to shut places down, especially yakuza bars.. You have to have a permit for dancing but you cant actually get one..Typical japan...

He did about 2 weeks jail and copped a 2,000,000 yen fine ( 30,000 plus aussie)..

Yep Laurence..totally agree with you..they have way too much power and can be real pricks. If arrested never ever admit to anything or sign anything..if you do your f#@ked! I know another guy who got into a scuffle, was arrested, was held in jail and daily interrogated and bashed and then they gave him paper to sign saying it was his release papers. he signed it not being able to read japanese and it turned out to be a trumped up confession which landed him in jail for 6 months and then deported.

Definitely down i the big cities, tokyo , osaka etc the cops have real attitude to foreigners..there still pretty laid back and friendly up here in hokkaido but can be pricks when they want to be.

[Laurence]

I literally watch seconds of Japanese TV a week, but I am pretty sure that was what I saw... There was also a raid on some nasty sea urchin poachers. To be honest I think for anyone who steals uni then eats it, the punishment fits the crime.

I stopped watching as they were entering a club up a staircase so I didn't see the rest unfortunately. My condolences to your friend that he was the victim of the random displays of action that Japanese police like to do.

[elrodeo666]

Thats the one!!

My misso was flicking channels and I saw it and went..I know that club..absolute bullshit farce but hey thats japan..

He's back in operation again which is good ...but down side is all the negative publicity he took from it plus the fact it was nation wide tv..

[Streeter]

all my friends are shocked when i tell them that in australia you can drink and drive.

they are all young so wouldnt really know what it was like before the rules came in for zero tolerance.

so the younger generation probably havent been affected by it too much

actually its nearly the same in Japan but rather than saying 1/2 drinks is ok they just make it a blanket NO. If you get pulled up and have only had 1 or 2 you will be ok.

I taught a few cops back in my teaching days and went in to great length about the exact details of drink driving etc.

*Interesting note is that the first check they give you is with a dummy machine that looks like a microphone... its nothing! LOL its just to speed things up as a proper blow reader like in aus apparently takes too much time! So they try and smell your breath and look at how guilty you appear and then decide if they need to bring out the proper tester.

[Bakadesu!!!]

I was properly breath-tested once with a "blow through the straw" machine at an RBT here.

It was nice to go through an RBT without worrying about getting defected for once.

[Streeter]

^^really! Ive been checked atleast 10-15 times now and they still havent brought out the real deal. usually Im on my bike though and blow through the full face opening so Im guessing they cant be arsed waiting for me to take my helmet off etc to check me properly.

[Iron Chef]

One law I already knew about was the passenger one - it's to prevent people getting into a car with a drink driver. The basic rule is that whatever punishment gets handed to the driver, any adult passengers cop half that. My agent's mate got done a little while back.

But yes, keystone cops indeed...

[BigWillieStyles]

Well i think the new laws are great. I think its disgraceful if people want to drink and drive in any country and they dont desever a license if they have little care for human life.

I dont believe that there has ever been a strong drinking and driving culture before these laws. It was never acceptable to drink and drive in Japan. Japan even has companys that act as a person who drives your car home after you have had a drink. You call them like a Taxi service but they drive your car for you with you in it home.

Another thing to consider when driving in Japan, whether youve been drinking or not, if you cause human death here from stupid behiour, you will be subject to the full brunt of the law, and in a country that freely uses the death penalty, it wouldnt be nice.

Edited March 3, 2009 by BigWillieStyles

[elrodeo666]

Big Willie..

It might not be acceptable but its been going on for years!!! DUI was hardly ever policed, then they brought in fines, then upped the fines, then had a spate of DUI accidents and death and then cracked down with the current laws. Before it was free for all.

It was after they cracked down on DUI that those companies that drive you home popped up. Before that ya used a taxi.

Taxis were and are my only way I get home after being on the turps as usually too blind to walk and carnt be fargged.

[akeenan]

death penalty in Japan? ............

drink driving has been going on here for ages .... if you get caught drunk, kiss your job and your life goodbye..

[BigWillieStyles]

death penalty in Japan? ............

Umm...yeah! Actually the death penalty here has overwhelming support from the public in Japan, with approval by the public by about 79 percent. And they freely use it.

Big Willie..

It might not be acceptable but its been going on for years!!! DUI was hardly ever policed, then they brought in fines, then upped the fines, then had a spate of DUI accidents and death and then cracked down with the current laws. Before it was free for all.

It was after they cracked down on DUI that those companies that drive you home popped up. Before that ya used a taxi.

Taxis were and are my only way I get home after being on the turps as usually too blind to walk and carnt be fargged.

It may have been going on for years, but its never been accepted by the community.

Edited March 3, 2009 by BigWillieStyles

[Drift Motorsport]

Wow I never knew the Jap cops could be so badass....

What other stories are there about the Jap police?