自転車の追い抜き新ルールに困惑　黄色い線はみ出し交通違反に？　警視庁が対応検討【もっと知りたい！】【グッド！モーニング】(2026年6月30日)

New rules for safely overtaking bicycles, implemented in April, are proving to be problematic. However, prioritizing safety can lead to other traffic violations. ■ Crossing the Yellow Line? On the 29th, the program investigated a major road in Tokyo. A yellow center line, prohibiting overtaking, runs down the middle of the road, but cars were repeatedly crossing it when overtaking bicycles. Eight cars were observed doing so in 30 minutes. The new rules for overtaking bicycles, implemented in April, require cars to maintain a distance of "at least 1 meter" when overtaking a moving bicycle. Drivers who fail to maintain this distance may face fines of up to 50,000 yen. If a safe distance cannot be maintained, the driver must slow down to 20-30 km/h. However, attempting to maintain approximately 1 meter of distance while overtaking a bicycle can result in crossing the yellow center line in narrower sections of the road. ■ Metropolitan Police Department Considering Response Drivers are expressing confusion as what is supposed to be a safety rule ends up becoming another traffic violation. Car user (50s): "Many people ride closer to the road, and if you're only a meter away from that, you cross the center line. That's a bit of a problem." Car user (30s): "There's a one-way uphill street near my house, and the road is narrow, so it's difficult to wait for a long time. But then it causes a traffic jam behind me, and I think it's really troublesome when traffic jams occur on narrow roads." While some drivers are concerned about passing other vehicles and traffic jams on narrow roads, the following comments were heard from cyclists: Cyclist (40s): "In Tokyo, the roads are narrow, so when cyclists zoom past, it can be scary. I think it might be a bit of a nuisance (to cars), but it's helpful in terms of safety." The reporting team also encountered a cyclist riding ahead while on the move. While attempting to overtake while adhering to the new rules, the narrow road and close proximity to the bicycle meant that trying to avoid it nearly resulted in crossing the center line. In response to inquiries from the program, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department commented as follows: "We are currently conducting intensive inspections to determine whether the center line color is appropriate for the road conditions. We will consider necessary revisions, such as changing to a white center line, from various perspectives, including narrow roads and traffic volume." (From the June 30, 2026 broadcast) [TV Asahi NEWS] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp