Amid a series of accidents in which tires came off from moving cars, large vehicles were inspected in a service area in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, in order to call for correct tire replacement and management.
This inspection has been conducted since last year by the Hiroshima Transport Branch of the China Transport Bureau during the winter season, when accidents are most common, in order to prevent tire falling off accidents caused by large trucks and buses.
On the 5th, an inspection was conducted at the Miyajima service area of the Sanyo Expressway in Hatsukaichi City, and 12 people from the Transportation Bureau and other agencies participated in the inspection of large vehicles.
During the inspection, we tapped the nut of the tire with a hammer to check for looseness, and handed out a flyer calling on drivers to perform the correct work when changing the tire and to ensure that the parts are tightened after the replacement.
Nationwide, there was an accident last week in which a tire came off a large truck while traveling in Aomori and Shimane prefectures.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, there were 140 accidents involving large vehicles falling off nationwide last fiscal year, the highest number since the survey began, and 66% of these accidents occurred from November to February.
Toshiharu Fujikawa, a land transport specialist at the Hiroshima Transport Bureau, said, "Once a tire falls off and collides with a pedestrian or an oncoming vehicle, it can cause injuries and even deaths.