Woman Charged With Driving Suitcase Without a License
This is another crazy crime in Japan story. I didn't know about these motorized suitcases that are able to be ridden, so I really didn't know that it is against the law to ride them without a drivers license in Japan.
As it turns out, electric suitcases can be considered vehicles in Japan. A Chinese international student learned this the hard way when she was pulled over in Osaka for not having a license to ride/drive one. This is the first case of its kind in Japan.
The prefectural police referred the woman to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the the Road Traffic Law. Electric suitcases are intended to be ridden in airports, and do not meet public safety standards and cannot be ridden on public roads. This woman's suitcase has an electric motor and can reach a speed of 13 km/hr.
The woman is contesting the charges because she didn't think the suitcase was a vehicle, so she didn't know she needed a drivers license. I can understand her thinking, but not knowing about a law is not a defense to breaking the law. I would guess that even Japanese people don't know the law concerning motorized suitcases. The general rule is that something motorized with a maximum speed of 6 km an hour, such as a mobility scooter, is treated as a pedestrian, so no drivers license required. This woman's motorized suitcase is capable of 13 km per hour, regardless of whether she was actually riding that fast.
Since I don't have a Japanese drivers license, I won't be riding any suitcases. It's safer that way.
4 comments:
This is very interesting! I have seen pictures on the internet of these suitcases, but I never thought anyone would ride them on a public road. Having said that, the new boom of electric scooters that are OK to ride without a licence makes me think 'Why not?' Obviously, the real issue is the speed. Also as a motorized suitcase is still such an unusual 'vehicle', it would be a show stopper and cause other accidents.
I hope this does not turn into a diplomatic issue.
Pamela: I think this is a hoot, a suitcase with wheels that take you places while sitting.
Catherine
Well, that certainly is a new one!
Now I wonder how it actually works at the airport. Do you put your actually suitcase into the drivable one? Do you rent and return them? Surely you can't take them on the plane with you!
When I saw this news on TV, I thought it was a joke.
I didn't know that suitcases were modified like this. When traveling abroad, travelers need to research the country they are going to.
Post a Comment