Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) will fully roll out road safety measures in response to the increasing number of rental car accidents involving international visitors to Japan. The measures will first be implemented in areas around New Chitose Airport, Fukuoka Airport, and Naha Airport.
The number of rental car traffic accidents involving foreign drivers holding international driving permits or foreign driver’s licenses rose from 47 in 2020 to 212 in 2025. The government’s 12th Fundamental Traffic Safety Program also identifies the promotion of road safety measures for foreign nationals as an important issue.
MLIT has so far conducted pilot projects using ETC 2.0 data to implement targeted measures, including the installation of warning signs, and has confirmed benefits such as a reduction in sudden braking. Based on the results of these trials, the ministry will move from the pilot stage to full-scale implementation.
In light of the high proportion of accidents occurring when making right turns at intersections, drivers unfamiliar with left-side traffic will be safely guided through measures such as colored pavement indicating right-turn paths and rubber poles to prevent vehicles from mistakenly entering the oncoming lane after turning right. In areas with a concentration of rental car operators, signs will be installed to remind drivers to keep to the left.
Measures will first be implemented in areas around New Chitose Airport, Fukuoka Airport, and Naha Airport, taking into account the large number of international visitors using rental cars, the high proportion of travelers from countries and regions with right-side traffic, and the presence of nationally managed highways along key routes near the airports. After surveying and analyzing traffic data during the busy summer travel season, on-site implementation will be rolled out sequentially on nationally managed highways around the airports by the end of the current fiscal year.
The Japan Tourism Agency will conduct a survey to understand the actual use of rental cars by international visitors to Japan, as well as issues related to their safe and secure use. Based on the survey findings and the progress of initiatives at the implementation sites, the Japan Tourism Agency and MLIT’s Road Bureau will work together to consider enhancing future road safety measures and expanding the areas where they are implemented.
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