As a safety measure in response to a drunk driving accident in which five children were killed and injured in Yachimachi City, Chiba Prefecture, businesses that use more than a certain number of cars with private "white numbers" will be required to be inspected with an alcohol detector from December.
In an accident in Yachimachi City, Chiba Prefecture, in which a drunk driver rammed into a line of elementary school students, killing and injuring five children, the truck that caused the accident was a private "white number".
The "green number" that carries luggage for a fee is required to be inspected by an alcohol detector before and after the driver's work, but in the case of the "white number", the specific method of the driver's breathalyzer test and physical condition management was left to the operator.
The National Police Agency has decided to strengthen safety measures for "white numbers" in the same way as "green numbers" if a business operator uses a certain number of cars, and from December 5, businesses that use five or more cars with "white numbers" will be required to conduct inspections using alcohol detectors.
It was originally scheduled to start in April last year, but was postponed due to a shortage of semiconductors used in detectors due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the National Police Agency, the new system will cover more than 12,1 business establishments and approximately 5.4 million drivers nationwide.