Distracted Acts Because of Smartphone Use: Turn New Bicycle Regulations into Chance to Reevaluate Habits

Editorial

14:59 JST, March 25, 2026

The problem persists of people being distracted while walking or driving vehicles because they are using a smartphone. The introduction of a new system imposing an administrative penalty on cyclists should be taken as an opportunity to reaffirm the dangers involved.

A revision to the Road Traffic Law, in which “blue tickets” will be issued with a penalty on cyclists aged 16 and older who commit traffic violations, will take effect on April 1. The penalty for riding a bicycle while looking at a smartphone will be ¥12,000.

Accidents caused by distracted cycling while using smartphones are becoming increasingly conspicuous. In 2024, there were 112 such incidents. There was even an accident in which a college student who was using a smartphone while riding a bicycle collided with a female pedestrian, resulting in the pedestrian’s death.

If a person is distracted because they are looking at a smartphone screen, it is only natural that their attention to other people and vehicles around them will be decreased. This is extremely dangerous behavior, and it should absolutely be stopped. If a person really needs to check their phone, the principle is to stop their bicycle and check it in a safe place.

The new enforcement measure applies to high school students as well. Haven’t high school students found themselves checking messages from friends while riding a bike on the way to school? High schools are urged to thoroughly remind students and parents of this danger.

Cases of people being distracted while using a smartphone are not limited to bicycling. There is no end to incidents in which people fall from train station platforms or stairs because they are distracted while walking and using a smartphone. Walking while distracted can also result in collisions and disputes with others.

Regarding motor vehicle driving, for which the blue traffic ticket system has long been in place, about 200,000 cases of smartphone use while driving are cracked down on annually.

Smartphones offer plenty of content, such as videos, games and social media — all of which people can easily get lost in. With the growing value placed on using time efficiently to prioritize results, some people may feel they can’t afford to waste time and end up repeatedly acting while distracted.

However, the streets are filled with elderly people, parents with children and pregnant women. If an accident were to occur, there is a risk of harming not only oneself but others as well. People should reflect on their daily habits before an irreversible tragedy occurs

When going out for a short time, try not to carry a smartphone if possible. If you are driving, place your smartphone out of reach inside the car. Why not start with such small steps?

Railway companies are putting up posters and other materials urging people not to use their smartphones while walking. Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward and the city of Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, have enacted ordinances banning the use of smartphones while walking. However, neither of their bans carries any penalties.

Businesses involved in the manufacture and sale of smartphones as well as the operators of social media platforms should also consider ways to reduce people engaging in distracted behavior while using a smartphone.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 25, 2026)