History and prospects of traffic enforcement for traffic safety in Japan

Traffic enforcement is one of the 3E's of traffic safety measures. Traffic enforcement has been reported to reduce traffic accidents worldwide; however, significant regional differences exist in its effectiveness. This study summarizes the history of the effects of traffic enforcement on reducing traffic accidents in Japan. In particular, scientific approaches and more efficient enforcement since 2000 have been described in the research results. Although the implementation of data-based PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) has steadily reduced the number of traffic fatalities, further reductions are expected through the use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. •Traffic accidents and enforcement in Japan over the years.•Impact of traffic enforcement on reducing traffic accidents.•Previous studies on traffic control in Japan to deter accidents.•A new method of traffic enforcement using artificial intelligence to reduce accidents.