Traffic Accidents

Take care when driving in Iwate. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians all need to be aware of and follow the rules of the road. Always check both ways when crossing the street or making a turn, and remember to keep an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists. When driving, turn your lights on early and keep your high beams on to alert other drivers and pedestrians of your presence. When walking or biking at night, wear highly reflective clothing so drivers can spot you. Keeping alert will reduce accidents in Iwate.

The following is taken from CLAIR’s Multilingual Living Guide.

• CLAIR’s Multilingual Living Guide（外部リンク）

If you have caused an accident

1）Notify the police

Immediately stop your vehicle and park it in a safe place. Rescue the injured if you can. Call 110 to notify the police; they will arrange an ambulance if needed.

2）On-site inspection

Police will arrive to confirm the scene. Stay at the site until they arrive or else you may not be eligible for insurance payments later.

3）Mutual confirmation

Share your name, address, and contact information with the other party. Receive the same information from them.

4）Notify your insurance company

Failure to notify your insurance company may void your eligibility to receive insurance payments. Insurance companies can give you advice to help you after an accident and negotiate with victims on your behalf. It is advisable to have negotiations in this way.

If you are the victim of an accident

1）Mutual confirmation

Confirm the name, address, and contact information of the party who caused the accident, and share your information as well.

2）Notify the police

Immediately notify the police by calling 110. You must do this to acquire an accident certificate （交通事故証明書, koutsuu jiko shoumeisho）, which you will need to seek damages and insurance claims.

3）If you are injured

Go to the hospital to have a medical certificate prepared

If you are injured in the accident, you will need to be checked out by a doctor and prepare a medical certificate （診断書, shindansho） to use to claim damages through insurance.

4）If your injury will prevent you from working

Preparation of employment certificate

If your injury results in you not being able to work, contact your employer for an employment certificate （就労証明書, shuurou shoumeisho）, which you will need to claim damages from work absence caused by this accident.

If you are injured in a traffic accident, you are eligible for compensations provided by the automobile liability insurance and optional insurance contracted by the person who caused the accident.
* If you are hit in a traffic accident during work or while commuting, you are eligible for compensations provided by workers accident compensation insurance （労災保険, rousai hoken） as well.

Remember:
In order to be eligible for damages for insurance claims, you will need one or more of the following certificates.

Japanese	English
交通事故証明書 koutsuu jiko shoumeisho	Accident certificate. This can be applied for either with the police office that handled your case, or the police office nearest to you.
診断書 shindansho	Medical certificate. This is received from the doctor who examined you for injury.
就労証明書 shuurou shoumeisho	Employment certificate. This is received from your employer detailing the damages you have received due to work absence.

Helpful Links

• Traffic Safety Guidelines（外部リンク）
• National Police Agency（外部リンク）