Japan increases expressway limit to 120kph

Trials revealed driving at higher speeds had little effect on the number of accidents
By Ben Spencer August 5, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Moving up: Japan reassesses the speed limit on expressways (© Fukamiyoga | Dreamstime.com)

Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) intends to raise the speed limit on some sections of the country's expressway network to 120kph.

Japan Times says the speed limit will be increased from 100kph on sections of expressways that are designed to be safe and have low accident rates. Large trucks will continue driving below 80kph. 

The changes could apply to the Tohoku expressway between the Hanamaki-Minami and Morioka-Minami interchanges, the Joban expressway between the Kashiwa and Mito interchanges and the Shin-Tomei expressway between the Gotenba and Hamamatsu-Inasa junctions.

The public safety commission in each area will approve the speed limit increase following discussions with local police and expressway operators.

The portion of the Shin-Tomei expressway may receive approval this fiscal year. 

New signs will be used to highlight the sections of expressways where the speed limit will be increased to 120kph. 
 

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Safe-driver training reduces costs, increases safety
    February 3, 2012
    Hermes, one of Europe's leading home delivery specialists, and part of the Otto group's European logistics division, estimates that introducing a range of safe-driving measures in its UK operations have contributed to a US$1.5 million cost saving to the business in the 12 months to April 2010.
    Read More
  • Mexico’s Durango-Mazatlan highway sets tunnel safety standard
    August 26, 2016
    Mauro Nogarin looks at the management of the longer tunnels on Mexico’s Durango-Mazatlan highway. In recent years the National Infrastructure Fund of Mexico has increased investment in the installation of ITS systems on selected highways to increase road safety. One such major investment is the 230km long Durango-Mazatlan highway which is 12m in width and has an average speed of 110km/h.
    Read More
  • ACE report: private sector and user-pay for English roads
    May 16, 2018
    It’s one minute to midnight for funding England’s roads, according to a timely new report - and the clock’s big hand is pointing to some form of user-pay solution, reports David Arminas. Is there any way out of future user-pay funding for England’s highway infrastructure? The answer is a resounding ‘no’, according to the recently-published report Funding Roads for the Future. The 25-page document by the London-based Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) calls for a radical rethink about how to
    Read More
  • IAM calls on government to increase targeted enforcement
    June 4, 2015
    The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging the new government to increase its efforts in promoting road safety by giving targeted enforcement a higher priority. With the yet-to-be-revealed figures for 2014 shaping up to show an increase in deaths and injuries on UK roads, the IAM believes the new government must make road traffic policing a core priority function for police forces and commissioners in England and Wales. The call comes following a survey conducted by the IAM throughout April 2
    Read More

Highlighted Content