Japanese police remain on high alert amid a surge in arrests, other enforcement actions and accidents involving unlicensed moped riders and individuals neglecting to wear helmets while riding, with no sign of the situation improving.
Mopeds have been gaining popularity, particularly among young people, who often operate them in a way similar to battery-assisted bicycles.
During a traffic crackdown conducted by Nogata Police Station within Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department, on a road in the capital's Nakano Ward on Dec. 22 last year, eight people were caught in just one hour, from 7 p.m., for illegally riding mopeds or modified bicycles capable of traveling without the need for pedaling.