Japan halves speed limit to 30km/h on narrow residential streets
A new rule took effect in Japan on Tuesday, cutting the speed limit on narrow residential roads without centre lines from 60km/h to 30km/h. The change aims to reduce deaths and injuries among pedestrians, particularly children and the elderly.
A new traffic rule came into force in Japan on Tuesday, sharply lowering the permitted driving speed on residential streets. The previous 60km/h limit has been replaced with 30km/h on roads that lack a centre line or dedicated speed signage, according to Japanese media reports.
Narrow streets without centre lines or pavements are common across Japan's densely populated cities. Data shows that children and elderly people face particularly high risk of being killed or seriously injured in accidents on these roads.
The new rule covers roughly 870,000km of roads narrower than 5.5 metres that have no centre line or median strip. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, this accounts for about 70% of the country's general road network.
Why the change was needed
While Japan's overall traffic death toll continues to fall — reaching a record low of 2,457 last year — accidents involving children and older people on residential streets have held steady at around 300 per year since 2021, and rose in 2025 for the first time in three years, according to the national police agency.
The introduction of limited "zone 30" areas on certain residential streets and school routes back in 2011 led to a 30% reduction in deaths and serious injuries, the Mainichi reported.
Police agency figures show the pedestrian mortality rate in accidents involving vehicles travelling at or below 30km/h is under 1%, rising to 2.7% at 30-40km/h and to 17.4% at 50-60km/h.
National police agency commissioner general Yoshinobu Kusunoki told reporters that drivers need to take particular care on roads shared with pedestrians and cyclists.
