About accusation of road law Article 47 Clause 2 violator (excess weight vehicle)

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We would like to announce that the Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Corporation (hereinafter ​referred to as "Expressway Corporation") and the Kanto Regional Head Office East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "NEXCO EAST") (hereinafter referred to as "​NEXCO East Japan") have today jointly filed a complaint to the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters, Traffic Regional Head Office Expressway Traffic Police Unit and the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters, Traffic Department Expressway Traffic Police Unit, as detailed below.

1. Background

On December 5 2024, at the Mutsukawa toll gate on the E16 Yokohama Yokosuka Road In-bound), and on December 17 2024, at the Narashino Main Line Out-bound gate on the E51 Higashi-Kanto Expressway (outbound), they allowed a large crane to pass through in violation of Article 47 Paragraph 2 of the Road Act. The drivers of both parties have been charged with violating Article 104 Item 1 of the said Act, and their respective employers with violating Article 107 of the said Act, to the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarters Traffic Department Expressway Traffic Police Unit and the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters Traffic Department Expressway Traffic Police Unit.
We believe that the violation on December 2024 was an extremely serious one, as it involved the passage of a truck crane with a total vehicle weight of 46.2 tons, which far exceeds the general limit of 22 tons set by the Vehicle Restrictions Ordinance.

• 違反概要については別添-1【PDF：298KB】をご参照ください。

In addition, we believe that the violation on December 2024 was an extremely serious one, as it involved the passage of a wheel crane with a total vehicle weight of 43.6 tons, which far exceeds the general limit of 20 tons set by the Vehicle Restrictions Ordinance.

• 違反概要については別添-2【PDF：253KB】をご参照ください。

2. Efforts to date

Vehicles that violate vehicle restriction laws, especially those that violate the vehicle weight regulations, can cause serious accidents in addition to reducing speed and reducing maneuverability. In addition, the impact of one vehicle with an axle load of 20 tons on a bridge deck ^(※) is said to be equivalent to the impact of approximately 4,000 vehicles with an axle load of 10 tons, which is the general limit, passing through the bridge, and is a factor in significantly deteriorating roads.
For this reason, NEXCO EAST has organized a Vehicle Restriction Ordinance Violation Enforcement Unit to specialize in enforcement and provide guidance and enforcement against violating vehicles.
In addition to providing direct guidance at the scene of traffic enforcement, Expressway Corporation and six Expressway companies are working together to eradicate violating vehicles by issuing joint written warnings to malicious violators and inviting the person in charge of the malicious violator (company) to a Vehicle Restriction Ordinance violator training seminar for face-to-face guidance.

• The bridge deck...
  Bridge deck components that support the load of automobiles, etc.

3. Future actions

Expressway Corporation and NEXCO EAST will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to take strict administrative action against vehicles that violate the Road Act, and strive to ensure safe and smooth traffic.

• 参考資料【PDF：287KB】