Student cyclist kills 85-year-old man

A 16-year-old student was riding a bicycle on a sidewalk in Mitaka City when he hit and killed an 85-year-old man.

fatal collision

At about 5 pm on December 8, a student was riding a bicycle on a downhill slope to the left side of the sidewalk in Mitaka City, a western suburb of Tokyo, and collided with 85-year-old Yuki Minegishi.

Minegishi was out for a walk and was hit hard on the head. He was taken to the nearest hospital along with the injured student. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

“I had my head down because it was cold and I didn’t see him,” the student told police.

According to official statistics from the Japanese Police Agency, a total of 72,339 bicycle accidents occurred across Japan in 2023, accounting for 23.5% of all traffic accidents.

Japanese Cycling Rules

Japan updated its cycling rules last month to impose fines for infractions such as talking on the phone while riding, riding drunk and carrying an umbrella.

The main rules regarding Japanese bicycles on the Police Department website include:

• Generally speaking, cyclists should ride on the left side of the road
• Pedestrians have the right of way when riding bicycles on sidewalks
• Cyclists must obey traffic lights
• Don’t ride after drinking
• Always wear a helmet

While Japanese law generally restricts riding bicycles on sidewalks under certain circumstances, it is common for cyclists of all ages to use sidewalks throughout Japan. This practice often occurs without police intervention, leading to discrepancies between official regulations and actual situations.

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