Number plates for Tokyo cyclists

The Tokyo government are considering bringing in compulsory number plates for bicycles in Tokyo. They are hoping that this will reduce the number of accidents in the busy city and help people to be reunited with lost or stolen cycles. The license plate system for bicycles would be similar to that   for cars and other motorised vehicles. Every cyclist would have to register their bike and display a unique identifying registration plate.

If this proves to be popular and effective, who knows, we could end up with bicycle plates in the UK, which might be a good thing if it is proven to reduce accidents. Currently about 19,000 cyclists  are killed or injured in road accidents. In fact these figures may be higher as this only includes incidents that were reported to the police, so more minor accidents, or those that didn’t involve another vehicle may well not have been reported at all. In 2011 107 cyclists were killed and 3085 were seriously injured. One fifth of these injured cyclists were children. The majority of accidents take place in the daytime in urban areas.

If the UK does get cycle license plates, then we’ll have to look into getting you some great personalised plates for your bicycles as well as your cars!

Photo credit: CoCreatr / Foter.com / CC BY-SA