New Rules: 60% of Drivers Anxious About Compliance; Only 20% Understand Details, Highlighting Delayed Awareness Efforts

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. (President: Shinichiro Funabiki), a member of the MS&AD Insurance Group, conducted an "Awareness Survey on the Revised Road Traffic Act" targeting people in their 20s to 60s in the top 10 prefectures with the highest bicycle accident rates (*1). Amidst a rapid increase in the number of traffic violation arrests involving bicycles, the revised Road Traffic Act, which will come into effect on April 1, 2026, will introduce a "blue ticket" system for bicycle traffic violations and impose new rules on automobile drivers when overtaking bicycles. The results of this survey revealed that while the legal revision is recognized to a certain extent, understanding of its content has not deepened, highlighting a delay in awareness efforts necessary to ensure the system's effectiveness. *1: Calculated based on data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (compiled on April 15, 2025). *2: Tokyo, Osaka, Gunma, Aichi, Shizuoka, Hyogo, Saitama, Okayama, Kagawa, Fukuoka (in descending order of accident rate). ### (1) Awareness of the revised Road Traffic Act is about 70%, but understanding of its content remains in the 20% range. While about 40% in Tokyo understand the content, it is in the low 20% range in Okayama, Gunma, Aichi, and Shizuoka. (2) Awareness of the introduction of the blue ticket system for bicycles is about 80%. Understanding of the content is in the 20% range. Awareness of the "new rules" when overtaking bicycles is less than 50%, and understanding of the content is in the 10% range. (3) About 80% support the blue ticket system for bicycles. The number one violation they want enforced more strictly is "driving while using a smartphone." (4) Half of the respondents answered that the effect of introducing the new rules when overtaking bicycles will "not change anything." About 60% of people are "anxious about whether they can follow" the new rules themselves. (5) About 60% of people believe the revised Road Traffic Act will "lead to the prevention of traffic accidents." (6) Over 70% answered that the revision is "not sufficiently publicized." Those in their 30s and above seek stronger public relations via "TV/Radio," while those in their 20s seek it via "SNS/WEB." ### 1. Survey Overview Survey Name: Awareness Survey on the Revised Road Traffic Act Survey Purpose: To grasp the penetration status of the revised Road Traffic Act to be enforced on April 1, 2026 Survey Period: March 13 to March 16, 2026 Survey Method: Internet survey Survey Target: ...