The standard of driving in Okinawa is terrible. I moved here about 6 months ago from elsewhere in Japan and I have never seen such consistently bad/dangerous driving every day. People just seem to have no regard for basic road safety.
People don't use seatbelts, even for their own children. Every week I see half a dozen or more cars driving around with little kids jumping around the back seat or sitting on the driver's knees. According to a 2020 survey by JAF, only 30% of passengers wear seatbelts on the highway, and only 18% on regular roads in Okinawa.
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People park absolutely anywhere they want. I've literally seen cars parked in the middle of roads, bus stops, blocking entrances etc., hazards on and left. I know drivers all over Japan watch TV while driving, but I think it's worse here. I see it fairly frequently on the highway, which is pretty terrifying.
Running red lights is normal, if people think there are no cameras/cops they will often go. More commonly they run the lights 4 or 5 seconds after they turn red. Be very careful when using a pedestrian crossing.
The speed limit is ignored. I get that Japanese speed limits are stupidly low but you also see it on narrow town roads with pedestrians around where it's more dangerous.
Drink driving is famously a problem in Okinawa. The highest rate in Japan.
Undertaking on two-lane roads. The practice of overtaking on the right is non-existent in Okinawa.
Just generally bad manoeuvring; turning without indicating, pulling out in front of moving traffic, not looking while reversing (I had to bang the back of a guy's car in a parking lot as he was about to reverse into me while I was walking).
People not putting seatbelts on their kids is the one that really gets me. How can parents be so irresponsible? They're literally risking their kids' lives out of laziness. I wish the police would take more serious action on this and some of the other more dangerous problems, but they seem pretty inactive.
People don't use seatbelts, even for their own children. Every week I see half a dozen or more cars driving around with little kids jumping around the back seat or sitting on the driver's knees. According to a 2020 survey by JAF, only 30% of passengers wear seatbelts on the highway, and only 18% on regular roads in Okinawa.
「シートベルト着用率が低い都道府県」ランキング 2位「大阪府」の50.0％を下回ったのは？【高速道路等／後部座席】 | 乗り物 ねとらぼ調査隊
車に乗る人の命を守ってくれるシートベルト。2008年に改正道路交通法が施行され、それまで努力義務とされていた後部座席同乗者のシートベルト着用などが新たに義務化されました。特に高速道路では、違反すると運転者に違反点数が課されます。 今回は、JAF（日本自動車連盟）と警察庁が合同で行った調査から、高速道路などで…
People park absolutely anywhere they want. I've literally seen cars parked in the middle of roads, bus stops, blocking entrances etc., hazards on and left. I know drivers all over Japan watch TV while driving, but I think it's worse here. I see it fairly frequently on the highway, which is pretty terrifying.
Running red lights is normal, if people think there are no cameras/cops they will often go. More commonly they run the lights 4 or 5 seconds after they turn red. Be very careful when using a pedestrian crossing.
The speed limit is ignored. I get that Japanese speed limits are stupidly low but you also see it on narrow town roads with pedestrians around where it's more dangerous.
Drink driving is famously a problem in Okinawa. The highest rate in Japan.
Undertaking on two-lane roads. The practice of overtaking on the right is non-existent in Okinawa.
Just generally bad manoeuvring; turning without indicating, pulling out in front of moving traffic, not looking while reversing (I had to bang the back of a guy's car in a parking lot as he was about to reverse into me while I was walking).
People not putting seatbelts on their kids is the one that really gets me. How can parents be so irresponsible? They're literally risking their kids' lives out of laziness. I wish the police would take more serious action on this and some of the other more dangerous problems, but they seem pretty inactive.
