In order to eliminate accidents where visually impaired people are left behind at railroad crossings and are hit by trains, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has established new standards for the shape and placement of guidance signs such as Braille blocks installed at railroad crossings. .
In line with this, 319 railroad crossings have been designated for improvement.
Three years ago and the year before yesterday, accidents in which visually impaired people were left stranded at railroad crossings and died occurred one after another in Shizuoka and Nara prefectures.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, progress has not been made in the installation of guidance signs such as Braille blocks at railroad crossings, and local governments that manage roads have complained that they are difficult to install because there are no standards regarding shape and placement. .
For this reason, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted an experiment in which people with visual impairments also participated, and as a result, the standard installation method was to spread white Braille blocks on the sidewalk inside railroad crossings, and to place white Braille blocks on both sides. We have newly decided to install yellow linear protrusions.
If the sidewalk is narrow, only two yellow linear protrusions will be installed, and consideration has been given to making it easier for people to recognize that they are inside a railroad crossing by looking at the soles of their feet or the soles of their feet.
Along with this, 319 railroad crossings nationwide have been newly designated as ``level crossings that require improvement'' based on the law.
Road administrators and railway operators involved in designated level crossings must submit improvement plans to the government, and a portion of the maintenance costs will be eligible for government subsidies.