Motorcycle Accident in Japan: What to Do, Step by Step

Nobody plans to crash, but a few minutes of preparation make a bad day much easier to deal with. Japan has clear rules about what a rider must do after an accident, and they apply to visitors in exactly the same way as to locals. Get them wrong and you can face a criminal charge or lose your insurance cover. This guide walks through what to do at the scene, whether you came off alone or were involved with another vehicle or person, and what happens in the days afterwards.

What the law requires

Article 72 of Japan’s Road Traffic Act sets out three duties for anyone riding or driving a vehicle involved in an accident. They apply whatever the cause and whoever was at fault.

1. Stop immediately and help the injured. That means calling an ambulance and giving whatever first aid you safely can. Leaving an injured person behind is treated as a hit-and-run, one of the most heavily punished traffic crimes in Japan.
2. Prevent further danger. Warn other traffic, and move vehicles and debris out of the way if it is safe to do so.
3. Report it to the police. Tell them where and when it happened, who was hurt, what was damaged and what you have done since. The duty to report covers solo crashes and damage to property, such as hitting a guardrail or a parked car. Failing to report is an offence in its own right.

At the scene, step by step

1. Stop and turn the engine off. Put the hazard lights on if the bike still has power.
2. Check yourself first. Adrenaline hides injuries. If you have neck or back pain, or have hit your head, stay still and let others call for help.
3. Get people out of the traffic. Move yourself and anyone who can walk to the side of the road, behind a barrier if there is one. Only move the bike if it is safe and easy. A damaged bike can be replaced.
4. Call 119 if anyone is hurt. Say “kyūkyū desu” (it’s an ambulance emergency) and give your location. Japanese dispatchers can connect an interpreter, but have a map open on your phone, or use a road sign, a shop name or a kilometre post.
5. Call the police on 110. Say “kōtsū jiko desu” (it’s a traffic accident). Do this even if nobody is hurt and the other person suggests skipping it.
6. Call your rental shop or, on a guided tour, your ride leader. The shop will arrange the tow and tell you what its insurer needs.
7. Record everything. Take photos of the bikes and vehicles before they are moved if you safely can, plus number plates, the road, signs, skid marks and any injuries. Note the time and the weather.
8. Wait for the police. Do not leave before they say you can, even if you are not hurt.

If you crash alone

Single-vehicle crashes are the most common kind for visiting riders: a slide on gravel or wet leaves, a corner that tightens more than expected, a deer on a mountain road. It is tempting to pick the bike up and carry on, but you still need to:

• Call the police. A solo crash is still an accident under Japanese law, and the rental insurance needs the police report.
• Report any damage to the road. If you hit a guardrail, sign or fence, the police will record it. The road authority may later claim the repair cost, which is usually covered by the rental’s property damage insurance.
• Not ride a damaged bike. Do not ride on if a mirror, indicator, light, brake or the forks are damaged. It is illegal and dangerous, and rental shops tow free over a set distance.
• Tell someone where you are. On a quiet mountain road, help can take a long time. Share your location with a friend, your tour leader or the rental shop.

If another vehicle or person is involved

• Help first, talk later. Check whether the other driver, rider or pedestrian is hurt and call 119 if they might be.
• Exchange details: name, address, phone number, number plate and insurance company. Photograph the other driver’s licence and vehicle inspection certificate (車検証) if they agree.
• Find witnesses. Ask anyone who saw it for their name and phone number, or ask the police to speak to them.
• Do not agree who was at fault. Saying “sumimasen” (sorry) to show concern is normal and polite in Japan, but do not say the accident was your fault or sign anything except police documents.
• Never settle at the scene. Do not pay or accept cash, or agree to “sort it out without the police”. In Japan, insurers work out a fault ratio (過失割合) between the parties afterwards, and it is rarely all on one side when both vehicles were moving. A private deal can stop the rental insurance from paying.

On an expressway

Expressway crashes are the most dangerous place to be standing around, because following traffic is fast and may not see you.

• Get yourself and others behind the guardrail or well up the verge, away from the traffic, straight away.
• The law requires a warning triangle (停止表示器材) behind any vehicle stopped on an expressway, motorcycles included. Ask your rental shop for one if you plan to ride expressways, and only place it if you can do so without walking into traffic.
• Use the roadside emergency phones (非常電話), spaced along the expressway, or call 110. The phones connect to the road operator, who knows exactly where you are and can close lanes.
• Call #9910 to report debris or damage on any road, including parts or fluid from your bike.

When the police arrive

The police will check everyone is safe, then take statements and measurements. This can take an hour or more. Have these ready:

• your home licence, International Driving Permit (or Japanese translation) and passport,
• the rental agreement and insurance papers,
• the address of where you are staying.

Riding with the wrong permit makes an accident far worse. A 1968-format IDP, or one without the motorcycle category, means you were riding unlicensed. That is a criminal offence in itself, and the rental insurance will not pay. Our guide to the International Driving Permit for Japan explains how to get it right before you fly.

If you do not understand a question, say so and ask for an interpreter. Do not sign a statement you cannot read. For a serious accident, ask the police to contact your embassy. Our guide to dealing with the police in Japan covers this, along with blue and red tickets if an offence was involved.

Getting medical care

• Ambulances are free and take you to the nearest hospital that can treat you.
• See a doctor the same day even if you feel fine. Injuries such as whiplash or concussion often show up later. A doctor’s certificate (診断書) is also what turns the case into an injury accident on the police record, which some insurance claims need.
• Expect to pay. Visitors are not covered by Japan’s national health insurance, so hospitals charge the full price and may ask for payment or a deposit before you leave. Keep every receipt.
• Call your travel insurer early. Many insurers have a 24-hour assistance line that can pay the hospital directly. Check before your trip that your policy covers motorcycle riding and the engine size you plan to ride, as many exclude it.

Insurance: who pays for what

Rental bikes in Japan carry two kinds of insurance, and neither of them covers your own injuries. Our rental guide explains the damage waiver and NOC in more detail.

All of these covers can be refused if the accident was not reported to the police, if you were riding without a valid licence or permit, or if you had been drinking.

In the days afterwards

• Get the accident certificate. Insurers usually ask for a traffic accident certificate (交通事故証明書), issued by the Japan Safe Driving Center based on the police report. The rental shop or insurer can often apply for it for you.
• Keep a file of the police station name and case officer, the other party’s details, photos, medical certificates and all receipts.
• Let the insurers talk. If another party was involved, the rental shop’s insurer usually deals with them directly. Pass any contact from the other side to the shop.
• Tell the police if you are leaving Japan while the case is open, and give them a contact address abroad.

Useful phrases

Ride with support

Planning ahead is the best protection: the right permit, a rental with the damage waiver, travel insurance that covers motorcycles and these numbers saved in your phone. On our guided motorcycle tours, an English-speaking ride leader travels with you. If anything goes wrong, they deal with the police, the rental shop and the hospital alongside you. Get in touch if you have questions about riding in Japan.

Sources

• e-Gov: Road Traffic Act, Article 72 (Japanese)
• JNTO: Japan Visitor Hotline
• Chiba Prefecture: Compulsory automobile liability insurance (Japanese)
• Japan Safe Driving Center: Traffic accident certificates (Japanese)
• Rental819: If the motorcycle gets damaged

Frequently asked questions