Cyclist Arrested After Apparent Bike Rage Incident
Police in Tokyo have arrested a cyclist on suspicion of damaging a car in a possible bike rage incident.
The 42-year-old man is alleged to have deliberately hit a car with his bicycle in Suginami Ward last week.
Police say footage captured on security cameras and the car's dashboard camera show the man parking his bicycle in front of the car, zigzagging nearby, and shouting at the driver.
Police say the suspect has denied the charge of criminal damage, insisting he didn't hit the car on purpose.
Japan's current traffic law doesn't stipulate any punishment for bike rage incidents. But that will change when a revised law takes effect at the end of this month, tightening regulations on dangerous bicycle riding.
The National Police Agency says there were more than 26,000 such cases in the country last year. Many involved cyclists running red lights or entering railroad crossings when the gates were closed.
The revised traffic law will impose tougher penalties on road rage incidents, including bike rage.
