Anshin Baka (safety crazy)

[Taro Toporific]

Too much safety makes Japanese a sheltered lot
Straits Times,-Singapore-27 Aug
... another source of disbelief for non-natives. 'I never want to be in an accident in Japan. I would die before the ambulance crew ...

[Steve Bildermann]

'I never want to be in an accident in Japan. I would die before the ambulance crew reached me,' said Mr Kerry Liu, a 28-year-old Australian who has lived, unscathed, in Tokyo for three years.

Actually Japan is a great place to have a road accident because you can never be killed in a road accident in Japan. Or any by other ailment for that matter. That's why you always read so and so was pronounced dead *at* the hospital. There is no such thing as DOA in Japan. They must take the body to a 'recognized' hospital and have a staff doctor do they actual pronouncement.

Emergency and ambulance staff cannot pronounce anybody dead and must proceed on the assumption that the victim is still alive. CPR, emergency resuscitation and all.

This leads to some interesting (read inane) court decisions about traffic fatalities.

[Jamie]

Isn't it ALSO true that if you have a traffic accident, but DON'T die within 24 hours, and then DO actually die, it WASN'T the traffic accident!? And in that case, why did you die?

[kamome]

This leads to some interesting (read inane) court decisions about traffic fatalities.

So then what are those signs in front of every koban that list the traffic fatalities? Are they actually referring to those who died at the hospital or at the scene? Or both?

[Captain Japan]

This leads to some interesting (read inane) court decisions about traffic fatalities.

So then what are those signs in front of every koban that list the traffic fatalities? Are they actually referring to those who died at the hospital or at the scene? Or both?

Yeah, I've wondered about those koban stats as well. I'm not sure but I think in order to be considered a traffic death you have to die within a pretty low amount of hours (something around 24) of the accident. So it's a bit tricky to qualify. Anyone know what it is exactly?

[Taro Toporific]

So then what are those signs in front of every koban that list the traffic fatalities? Are they actually referring to those who died at the hospital or at the scene? Or both?

Yeah, I've wondered about those koban stats as well. I'm not sure but I think in order to be considered a traffic death you have to die within a pretty low amount of hours (something around 24) of the accident.

According to the National Police Agency, the number of fatalities due to traffic accidents (those who died from accidents within 24 hours) in 1999 was 9,005 persons, a decline of 206 persons (2.2%) from the previous year.
-- JAMA http://www.jicosh.gr.jp/english/statistics/1999traffic/

]To put this number in perspective, Japan's suicide victims number three times the nation's traffic fatalities.
--Japanese Way of Death
By Brian Bremner BusinessWeek http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/japanese_way_of_death.htm
August 22, 2000

[kamome]

the number of fatalities due to traffic accidents in 1999 was 9,005 persons

]To put this number in perspective, Japan's suicide victims number three times the nation's traffic fatalities.

27,000 suicide deaths in Japan in a year is pretty damn high. Next question: was it mostly by train jumping?

[Taro Toporific]

To put this number in perspective, Japan's suicide victims number three times the nation's traffic fatalities.

27,000 suicide deaths in Japan in a year is pretty damn high. Next question: was it mostly by train jumping?

Karoshi?

[Neo-Rio]

How does one actually die of work anyway? Doing an office job, I find that impossible. Karoshi definitely would be possible from lack of sleep and job stress.... combined, they'd make anyone want to jump in front of a train.

[kamome]

Karoshi?

Karoshi isn't technically suicide...unless you make a new category for "voluntary, slow suicides". Included in that category would be karoshi, smoking, and eating fast food.