10 Pct of E-Scooter Accidents Caused by Drunken Driving in Japan

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)--Drunken driving accounted for some 10 pct of accidents involving specified small motorized two-wheel vehicles, including electric kick scooters, in Japan in 2025, a government white paper on traffic safety said Friday.

Drunken driving was blamed for 43 cases. The total number of accidents involving such vehicles rose 48 from the previous year to 386.

The share of drunken-driving accidents is "extremely high," the annual report said.

Of the total, 168 cases, or some 40 pct, were accidents with four-wheel vehicles, while 87 cases were single-vehicle accidents. There were 57 accidents with bicycles, and those with pedestrians totaled 56 cases.

The category of specified small motorized two-wheel vehicles was introduced in a revision of the road traffic law in July 2023. Vehicles in the category can be driven by people aged 16 or older without a driver's license.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]