Eyes on the road, and hands to yourself.
History has shown that while technological advancements initially present huge time savings to humanity, eventually we start to take those benefits for granted, and our lifestyles end up feeling just about as busy as they did before. So while automobiles allow us to arrive at our destination far faster than our horse-riding or always-walking ancestors did, modern society still feels tempted to multitask while behind the wheel.
Of course, distracted driving can be extremely dangerous. That’s why the Japanese government asks that you wait until your arrive at your destination, or at the very least pull over, if you’re going to answer your phone or send a text message. Oh, and also if you’re going to play with a female passenger’s boobs.
Japanese Twitter user and car enthusiast @ken_world discovered this fine point of the law protruding from a written description of a particular part of Japan’s vehicular code, which reads:
Question: Using a smartphone while driving is not OK, but what about eating or putting on makeup?
Answer: While not explicitly banned by it, such actions could be judged as violating Article 70 of the Road Traffic Regulations, the Safe Driving Obligation. The article states that “The steering wheel, brakes, and other controls must be securely and properly operated…and the car must be driven in a manner and at a speed which do not present a danger to others.”
A former prosecutor wrote a dissertation that a driver touching a woman’s breasts with one hand while driving would constitute a violation.
The explanation also states that motorists found in violation of Article 70 would be required to pay a 9,000-yen (US$78) fine, and depending on the circumstances of the infraction could face punitive damages of up to 100,000 yen or three months’ in prison.
The description ends with the comment that it’s unlikely that such activity would be observed or written-up by police officers. It’s also worth noting that no mention is made of whether the law being referenced is a national or prefectural ordinance. Nevertheless, if you’re concerned about doing all you can to stay on the right side of the law, you might want to consult with your local cops before you cop a feel on a woman’s chest to spice up your drive (as well as, of course, making sure the woman herself is OK with the plan).
Source: Jin
Top image: RocketNews24
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