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The Ministry of Transport, in a bid to secure traffic safety, which is
the fundamental of transport administration, lays down traffic safety plans
every year and vigorously pushes forward with them in land, sea and air transport
services.
With regard to road traffic accidents, the number of fatal victims has topped
11,OOO for the first time in 15 years since 1974. The situation is so alarming
that it can be aptly described as a second traffic war. Again, accidents involving
pleasure boats have shown an upward trend as a result of the development of
marine recreation (Table 11).
Taking a serious view of these situations, the Ministry of Transport, for its
part, is currently grappling with a wide variety of measures to prevent accidents
and provide relief for accident victims.
With respect to road traffic in particular, the Council for Transport Technology,
the Ministry of Transport, has started deliberations to re-examine the safety
criteria for vehicles from an overall standpoint. The Ministry of Transport
is now examining and studying the seamanship. competency system involving pleasure
boats by establishing a committee on the examination and study of small-sized
ship seamen's competency, etc.
Furthermore, the ministry, in a move to ensure the safety of air traffic
in view of a dramatic increase in the volume of air transport, is now pushing
ahead with the creation of an "Air Traffic Services System Center" (provisional
name). The minis-try will also set up a "Wide Area Rader Approach Control Station"
(provisional name) to cope with the congestion and diversification of air traffic
in the skies over the Kansai District in particular.
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