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Japan Cyclists Risk Jail for Using a Mobile

This photo taken on April 10, 2024 shows police officers checking on a bicycle along a street in the Shibuya district of central Tokyo. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT
This photo taken on April 10, 2024 shows police officers checking on a bicycle along a street in the Shibuya district of central Tokyo. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT
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Japan Cyclists Risk Jail for Using a Mobile

This photo taken on April 10, 2024 shows police officers checking on a bicycle along a street in the Shibuya district of central Tokyo. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT
This photo taken on April 10, 2024 shows police officers checking on a bicycle along a street in the Shibuya district of central Tokyo. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT

Cyclists using a mobile phone while riding in Japan could face up to six months in jail under strict new rules that entered into force Friday, Agence France Presse reported.

Those who breach the revised road traffic law can be punished with a maximum of six months in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 yen ($660).

"Making a call with a smartphone in your hand while cycling, or watching the screen, is now banned and subject to punishment," a National Police Agency leaflet says.

Some accidents caused by cyclists watching screens have resulted in pedestrian deaths, according to the government.

Although the total number of traffic accidents is declining in Japan, the proportion that involve bicycles is on the rise.

Unlike many other countries, riding a bicycle on the pavement is allowed in usually law-abiding Japan and a common sight.

Under the new rules, cycling while drunk can land the rider with up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

Those who offer alcoholic drinks to cyclists face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 300,000 yen.

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Bidens Host Final Halloween Trick-or-treat Event. First Lady Comes as Giant Panda

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a giant panda costume, host the annual Halloween celebration at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a giant panda costume, host the annual Halloween celebration at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Bidens Host Final Halloween Trick-or-treat Event. First Lady Comes as Giant Panda

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a giant panda costume, host the annual Halloween celebration at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a giant panda costume, host the annual Halloween celebration at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

US President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, who dressed as a giant panda, hosted trick-or-treaters on the White House South Lawn on Wednesday for the last time.
The first lady had participated in the National Zoo's announcement earlier this year that pandas would be returning to Washington. They arrived in the nation's capital in mid-October and Jill Biden donned the panda suit Wednesday as a “welcoming gesture,” the White House said.
Jill Biden added an educational theme to the event and named it “Hallo-Read” to help encourage reading. She has been a teacher for 40 years. Earlier Wednesday, she read a short story about spooky pumpkins to a group of costumed children gathered on the lawn, The Associated Press reported.
She and the president later ventured outside at sunset and spent about an hour handing out treats. Biden, in a suit and tie, dropped boxes of White House Hershey's Kisses chocolates in the kids' tote bags while the first lady handed out copies of “10 Spooky Pumpkins.”
Up to 8,000 people, including students and children tied to the military, were expected to pass through the White House gates during the day.
A large orange moon and a sign that said “Hallow-Read at the White House” decorated the south face of the executive mansion. The decorations also included cardboard representations of Willow, the family cat who is rarely seen in public, and stacks of books. Giant pumpkin decorations flanked the door.
Biden dropped his bid for reelection in July. He leaves office in January.