Drinking Alcohol and Dangerous Driving: ‘Just a Little’ Is Not Acceptable for Drivers

Editorial

16:16 JST, May 11, 2026

There is no end to the serious accidents caused by drunk driving. In light of a planned legal amendment to strictly punish those who drive dangerously, it is necessary for people to reaffirm that they should not drive after consuming even a small amount of alcohol.

Regarding the offense of dangerous driving causing death or injury under the law to punish driving in a way that inflicts death or injury, the House of Councillors passed a bill to newly introduce numerical standards for alcohol levels and speeding that constitute a criminal offense. The bill is expected to be enacted during the current Diet session and take effect within the year.

Under the revised law, the threshold for applying charges of dangerous driving would be “0.5 milligrams or more of alcohol concentration per liter of breath.” This is equivalent to having consumed two to three large bottles of beer.

The current law lacks numerical criteria, making it difficult to apply charges. In a 2024 case in which three family members died in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, the court found that the perpetrator had consumed alcohol after taking a breath test at work. However, he had initially been charged with negligent driving.

The maximum statutory penalty for dangerous driving is 20 years of imprisonment, which is significantly harsher than the seven-year maximum for negligent driving resulting in death or injury. The introduction of numerical standards must be a step toward strictly punishing those who drive dangerously.

The new numerical standards are based on data from the World Health Organization and other sources that are said to be applicable regardless of race, gender or a person’s tolerance for alcohol. This alcohol level is believed to impair the focus and reactions of any driver.

However, there remains concern that setting numerical criteria might conversely help spread the misconception that drivers can drink just a little as long as their alcohol levels are below the criteria. Such concern was also raised at the Justice Ministry’s advisory panel that discussed revisions to the law.

Families of traffic accident victims have called one after another for the numerical criteria to be lowered, arguing that the envisaged figure is too high.

Drunk driving is an extremely dangerous act. Investigative authorities must not be bound solely by numerical standards but are urged to be flexible in applying charges, by thoroughly examining the circumstances of each accident as well as its severity and the level of danger.

A supplementary resolution was adopted in the upper house, calling for further review of the numerical criteria based on the situation that develops after the revised law is enforced. The appropriateness of the criteria should continue to be examined as needed.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend to strictly punish drunk driving. Penalties have been established not only for drivers but also for accompanying passengers and those who provide alcohol. In November 2024, a new penalty was also introduced for riding a bicycle under the influence.

There were 125 fatal accidents due to drunk driving last year. Society should once again share the mindset that people should never drive after consuming alcohol.

It is also essential to strengthen initiatives such as campaigns to designate a driver — meaning a decision is made in advance regarding who will not drink at a social gathering — as well as appeals to customers by eating and drinking establishments.

 (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 10, 2026)