Land vehicles
Automobile safety
Automobile safety saves people’s lives.
Automobiles transport people at high speed. If an automobile running at a speed of 30 km/h collides against a wall, the shock is equivalent to the fall from 3.5 m high.
Therefore, automobiles have hard bodies and the device to protect passengers. If an accident occurs and this device does not work, it will cause more serious damage to people around the accident as well as the passengers.
 
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Automobiles are inspected regularly to ensure the safety and prevent pollution by exhaust gas.
Sticker shows the valid term of the inspection
Stickers show the valid term of the inspection
How are vehicle inspections performed?
If a vehicle doesn’t pass the inspection, we cannot ride in the car.
Every car owner has to bring his car to either maintenance garages or the national inspection stations for the regular inspection.
The vehicle inspection divides into several blocks and it is carried out with inspection equipment.
 
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検査の有効期間を示すステッカー
Examples of inspections with inspection equipment
• Brake inspection
Does the brake work fine? Does it work equally on both side of the car?
Brake inspection
 
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• Inspection for lamps and exhaust gas
At this block, lamps and exhaust gas are inspected. For the night driving, lack of light maintenance is the cause of a poor visibility and it leads to a terrible accident.
Automobiles emit exhaust gas. Exhaust gas negatively affects health and the atmosphere. The exhaust emission is inspected if it complies with the regulations.
Inspection for lamps
Inspection for lamps
 
Exhaust emission inspection
Exhaust emission inspection
Check-ups before driving
You can prevent accidents by daily check-ups before driving a car, for example checking your brake and condition of tires etc.
Even if you check the car, accidents cannot be avoided unless you drive safe. You must not drive after drinking alcohol.
 
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When you are too tired or sleepy, or after you take medicine for a cold, you should avoid driving.
And you must fasten seat belt in a car.
Other passenger should be aware of safely issue to prevent accidents.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport : Motor vehicle inspection
Safer automobiles
Automobiles are equipped with various devices to prevent passenger from injuries when an accident happens.
  • Device that works before the car hits something: ABS
  • Devices that work when the car hits something: Seat belts, air bags, and child safety seats
 
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Damages in accident will differ by types of vehicle even if the vehicles look similar. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport compare safety features of the automobiles sold in Japan.
In order to examine the safety performance of automobiles, they place dummies with a sensor in a test vehicle. Then it is collided head-on against a wall and also collided from one side.
Child safety seats are examined too.
They rate the results with easily recognizable sign like stars and publish them. They are available on the brochures and website of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.