Accidents that changed society-they were all me August 29 14:44

This spring, some people were robbed by a car that ran out of life for their wife and daughter.
I can't forgive the car driver. But that alone can't be finished ...
“I want you to think seriously about road safety without wasting the death of two loved ones.”
This is the thought of the bereaved family.
(Social Department reporter Yasunori Tabata)

They were all of me

A man in a suit who just finished work greeted me at home on a weekday night in late August.

The guided living room is decorated with family photos all over the wall. The photo shows Mana Matsunaga (31) and the eldest daughter Reiko-chan (3).

Matsunaga's husband was deprived of the life of his beloved wife and child in an accident.

“They were all of me,” he says.

He told me about each of the memorable items in front of the Buddhist altar.

“This paper-made watch was used by Mana to teach Reiko the time. It was 3 o'clock because it was a snack time. The two of us used to make sweets together. When Reiko was hungry, before 3 o'clock it was time to turn the clock and say, 'It's 3 o'clock.'

The life of a lost mother and daughter

The accident happened on April 19th at 0:25 pm. A passenger car went out of control in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, and pedestrians were hit one after another.

Mana and Reiko were on their way home from a nearby park by bicycle.

Immediately after the accident, transport activities by firefighting and police investigations were carried out in tight air, but one straw hat was left on the pedestrian crossing.

It was that of Mana who passed away.

Driver is elderly

Kozo Iizuka, former executive of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, was driving the car that caused the accident (88).

After that, I attended the actual situation and witnessed it.

The Metropolitan Police Department has been investigating on the suspicion of accidental driving lethal injury due to a driving error.

Although they are investigating voluntarily because there is no risk of escape or wisdom of evidence, there are many criticisms about why they should not be arrested, especially on the Internet.

Mom ’s snack is delicious

Matsunaga's husband showed me a video of Mana and Reiko making a snack.

Mana is from Okinawa. My father was a chef and there were many siblings, so I was good at cooking. He moved to Tokyo when he got married, but he said he was particularly concerned about what the family eats.

Reiko-chan's snacks were also handmade and her mother and daughter made snacks. Eiko-chan sometimes seemed enviable to eat other sweets on the market, but still said she was saying “mom's snack, delicious”.

Matsunaga's husband talked with his hands in front of the two beloved Buddhist altars, closing his eyes.

“It's the same when we're holding hands together, but when we really want to meet, we close our eyes and think of the faces of two people and say that we love each other. I ’m calming my heart. ”

Why speak up

Matsunaga's husband has held a press conference right after the accident. In a difficult situation, she faced her face and shared her photos and videos.

Why can you do that?

It was because of the desire to eliminate accidents where everyone could be a victim / perpetrator.

“It's not just a story about a 31-year-old woman and a 3-year-old girl who died. By talking with two photos and my face open,“ There are two people who had terrible thoughts. I want you to know that there are surviving bereaved families. ”There were 3,500 deaths a year throughout the country, but I had only seen them as numbers until I became a party. That said, there are bereaved families who are saddened by 3,500 lives. I hope that many people will have a sense of reality, so that even one accident will be reduced. "

Furthermore, in July, three months after the accident, he began signing with his relatives.

It is a signing activity that demands severe punishment for drivers.

“I want the perpetrators to sin properly”
"I don't want to leave precedent that can be done with light punishment."
“I want to make the world seriously think about traffic safety without wasting the death of two loved ones.”

I will repeat these three thoughts.

Over 200,000 signatures

The signing activity has received a great response.

Matsunaga's husband and his bereaved family have been collecting street signatures in Tokyo and Okinawa, and have also released the form on the Internet.

As a result, the number of signatures delivered from all over the country in the first month exceeded 200,000. Cardboards with signatures are piled up at home.

A lot of letters are sent with the signature.

“Grandfather returned the driver's license” “Family discussed safe driving with family”

Such a sentence was spelled with words of encouragement.

“I really didn't expect you to cooperate so far. I ’m really grateful. I ’m grateful and supported by you.”

Society also started to move

Society began to move with the voice of the bereaved.

After the accident in Ikebukuro, the accidents of older drivers have decreased.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, accidents caused by elderly drivers over 65 years old have increased in Tokyo since April, when Ikebukuro had an accident. 1979, 27 more than the same period last year.

However, from May to July, the month after the accident, it started to decrease. 1281 cases, 90 cases compared to last year, or 6% less.

In particular, there were two fatal accidents, five fewer than last year.

The Metropolitan Police Department believes that the background of the increase in social interest in driving by older drivers, such as the rapid increase in driver's license refunds triggered by the Ikebukuro accident.

After the accident, governmental measures such as subsidies for preventing accidental depression of brakes and accelerators were also advanced.

Discussions about what to do in rural areas without public transport are more serious than ever.

“They won't come home anymore, but I want to do whatever they can do for them.

The language of the bereaved has reached many people.

Social Department reporter Yusuke Tabata

After joining Matsuyama Station in 2012, now in charge of the Ministry of Social Affairs