Japanese road traffic law basically requires high beams when driving at night?
Hello, we are JumboTaxy.com and we are located in Tokyo and Saitama. Our service is to provide jumbo taxis (wagon taxis) that can accommodate from 5 to 9 passengers to and from all over Japan and airports. Throughout our daily operations, our drivers focus on the safety of our customers. Especially when driving at night, proper use of headlights (front headlights) is extremely important. We hope that this article will help you to drive safely.
Nighttime driving light basics
When driving at night, a car's headlights play a very important role. Headlights not only provide visibility for the driver, but also alert other vehicles and pedestrians to the presence of your car. High beams are basically used to illuminate the road ahead and to detect distant obstacles and pedestrians quickly. However, when passing another vehicle or proceeding directly behind another vehicle, it is necessary to switch to low beams because the strong light of high beams may obstruct the vision of others. Proper use of these lights is essential for safe nighttime driving.
| high beam | low beam |
|---|---|
| Headlights for driving | Headlights for passing each other |
Revision of the use of front lights by the National Police Agency in 2017.
The partial revision of the Instructional Rules and Regulations enacted by the National Police Agency in March 2017 aims to raise awareness regarding the correct use of high beams, which is expected to improve traffic safety at night. This is due to data showing that the use of high beams contributes to accident prevention. However, this recommendation is not unlimited and requires that they be used while maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles and taking care not to dazzle other vehicles.
Use of high beams and their effectiveness in deterring accidents
Active use of high beams is effective for early detection of pedestrians and obstacles and for preventing accidents. Analysis by the National Police Agency suggests that many accidents could have been prevented if high beams were properly used. In particular, when driving at night or on roads with few streetlights, the use of high beams is believed to help prevent accidents by detecting pedestrians and obstacles earlier.
References: National Police Agency
How to properly switch between high and low beams
High beams should be switched appropriately depending on road conditions and the presence of other vehicles. Specifically, it is recommended that high beams be used when there is a distance of 500 meters or more from oncoming traffic or vehicles in front, or when other vehicles are not affected, and that low beams be switched to low beams in other situations. It is also important to use passing to tell oncoming vehicles when they leave their headlights on high beam or when driving without lights at night.
Safe driving speeds for low beams and their importance
The beam distance of low beams is defined as approximately 40 m. Based on this beam distance, the safe driving speed is 40 km/h or less. Based on this distance, the safe driving speed is 40 km/h or less, while the use of high beams is mandatory when driving at 60 km/h or more, because the beam distance of high beams is 100 m or more. Thus, the use of appropriate headlights and the associated adjustment of driving speed is very important for safe nighttime driving.
| Distance to safety cone 100m | Distance to safety cone 60m | |
| high beam |  |  |
| low beam |  |  |
summary
This article focused on the proper use of high and low beams when driving at night. Knowing how to properly use lights makes nighttime driving safer and provides important information on the background of the 2017 National Police Agency's partial revision of the Instruction, the accident deterrent effect of high beams, how to properly switch between lights, and safe driving speeds with low beams. Proper headlight use is key to safer nighttime driving.
Thank you for your patience to the end of this article. At our Jumbo Taxi (wagon taxi), which operates mainly in Tokyo and Saitama, our top priority is always the safety and comfort of our customers. As I write this article, I myself feel the importance of continuing to learn through our daily operations. The theme of this issue, the use of high and low beams, has been an opportunity for not only you, but also for us, the staff, to reaffirm our commitment. We hope that you will continue to enjoy safer and more comfortable transportation with us.
