E-Scooter Traffic Offenses Surge After Japan Relaxes Rules

  • Requirements on licenses, helmets were eased in July
  • Most violations were related to speeding on sidewalks
A woman rides a Luup e-scooter in Tokyo.Photographer: Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images
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Traffic violations related to e-scooters in Japan have more than quadrupled in the half year since rider requirements were relaxed in the island nation.

There were 1,879 e-scooter traffic violations in December, more than a four-fold increase from the number of violations in July when the loosened regulations went into effect, according to national broadcaster NHK, which cited data from the National Police Agency.