On the Hokuriku Expressway and National Route 8 in Fukui Prefecture, where cars were stranded due to record heavy snowfall, the lessons learned from the large-scale stalling that occurred three years ago will prevent cars without chains from driving. Regulations were newly introduced, but it turned out that the regulations were postponed because "snow removal is possible" in this heavy snowfall.
The prefecture and related organizations are going to verify such measures.
In the record heavy snowfall three years ago, about 1,500 cars were temporarily stuck on National Route 8 in Awara City, Fukui Prefecture, so the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced that on National Route 8 and the Hokuriku Expressway in the prefecture. We have introduced new regulations that can restrict the passage of vehicles with winter tires but not chains if they are expected to get stuck.
When NHK interviewed the Fukui River National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Central Nippon Expressway, it was found that this regulation was not enforced on national roads and highways in the prefecture due to this heavy snowfall.
Regarding this, the Central Nippon Expressway explained, "We are supposed to carry out a heavy snow emergency warning and snowfall that exceeds the snow removal capacity, but this time we decided that it was possible to remove snow and decided not to do so."
On the Hokuriku Expressway, about 1,500 trucks were stranded in the wake of a slip accident near the Maruoka Interchange on the 9th of this month, but the truck that caused the accident was not wearing a chain.
The prefecture and related organizations are going to verify whether the response was not regulated and whether the information was provided appropriately.