Japan

According to the White Paper on Traffic Safety in Japan 2005 (compiled under the supervision of Directorate General for Policies on Cohesive Society, Cabinet Office) the Japanese Government has strengthened its efforts to monitor vehicle safety by bolstering its system for collecting vehicle defect information from users via a hotline service and accident information from the police, JAF and other relevant organisations, and by conducting focused audits of suspect manufacturers. In addition, the government established a recall investigation office and created a system for corroborative testing.  In 2005 the Cabinet also dedicated itself to implementing a Road Traffic Initiative, which included initiatives such as traffic safety education, promotion of safe driving, improvement of vehicle safety and enhancement of rescue systems.

ITS Targets
In order to realize its vision for Japanese society, guided by the theme of “ITS for a livable society,” ITS Japan has set three first-step targets, which are the realization of:
• A zone with zero traffic fatalities
• A zone with zero traffic congestion
• A zone with a comfortable transportation experience

Documents:

White Paper on Traffic Safety in Japan 2005

Links:

- ITS Japan

ITS Japan's mission is to promote reserach, development and deployment of ITS. They aspire to facilitate the creation of trasnportation systems that are safe, confortable, and kind to the environment, thereby providing a base for solid economic growth and contributing to a more affluent society. ITS Japan works on a world-wide scale to make transportation systems that interact ideally with humans so as many people as possible can enjoy the benefits of ITS.

- International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences

The problems that face efficient transportation, such as the risk of traffic accidents, are made up of a number of factors: human, mechanical and environmental. Overcoming these problems requires the marshalling of knowledge from numerous academic fields and research into what constitutes the ideal road transportation system and the relationship between the human, mechanical and environmental factors of that system.
The guiding principle of IATSS is to promote the development of the ideal transportation system by the prompt undertaking of traffic and safety-related research activities, hosting of research conferences, active support of publicity and publication activities, and bestowing awards and grants for transportation-related research, education and other activities.

- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport http://www.mlit.go.jp/english/index.html

- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Road Bureau ITS http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ITS/

- Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) http://www.jari.or.jp/en/index.html is established in order to engage in general research on automobiles. Its intention is to contribute to healthy development of the automotive society.