Reiwa 7 (Wa) 150 Negligent Driving Causing Death Case

In April 2025, a male company employee driving a passenger vehicle in Tokyo struck and killed an elderly woman crossing a street at an intersection without traffic lights. The driver, distracted by operating a smartphone application for navigation, failed to notice the pedestrian. He immediately stopped and called emergency services, but the victim died at the hospital from severe head trauma. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted him on charges of negligent driving causing death under the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury on Others by Driving a Motor Vehicle. The case was filed as Reiwa 7 (Wa) 150.

The Tokyo District Court sentenced the defendant to 2 years and 6 months in prison, suspended for 4 years, emphasizing the severe consequences of smartphone use while driving but acknowledging the mitigating factors of his immediate remorse and out-of-court settlement with the bereaved family.

The primary legal issue centered on the degree of the defendant's negligence and whether the distraction from operating a navigation app constituted "gross negligence" warranting a custodial sentence without suspension. The defense argued for a suspended sentence, citing the defendant's deep remorse, voluntary surrender, and efforts to reach a settlement with the victim's family.

The case intensified public discourse on the dangers of "while-driving" smartphone use, prompting the National Police Agency to announce stricter enforcement guidelines. It became a high-profile example in national traffic safety campaigns, leading to renewed calls by civic groups for mandatory driver monitoring systems and heavier penalties for digital device usage behind the wheel.