Beautiful habits worth learning from Japanese drivers

Japanese drivers have long been known for their courteous behavior on the road. Here are some common behaviors.

Flash your headlights to thank them for giving way.

In Vietnam, drivers often use the high-beam flashing function to ask to pass or to remind oncoming drivers to lower their high-beams and switch to low-beam mode. However, in Japan, when a car wants to enter a lane, they will signal to ask. If another car allows them to enter, they will flash their high-beams twice as a thank you. This unique way of doing things has been formed and applied in Japan for a long time.

Do not honk

Not honking is a prominent traffic culture in Japan and many developed countries. Even when stuck in traffic, drivers still wait patiently, do not get angry and honk loudly and try to steal the road.

In Japan, it is easy to see that even if one side of the road is empty, not a single car will cross over. Queuing is a habit that Japanese people develop from childhood and has become a beautiful cultural feature in this country.

Give way to pedestrians

In the land of cherry blossoms, pedestrians are the majority because most people use public transport. They have to walk from the train station to work.

Instead of pedestrians having to yield to vehicles, Japanese drivers always yield to pedestrians. They always make sure that pedestrians have safely walked onto the sidewalk before moving on.

Taxis lining up to pick up passengers

Due to the developed public transport system, taxis have become an expensive means of transport in Japan. However, taxis are the optimal choice at night. It is worth noting that Japanese drivers do not fight for passengers but enter the parking lot one by one, line up in an orderly manner, and then move forward one by one to pick up passengers.

Automatic taxi doors

Instead of passengers opening the door themselves or the driver getting out and opening the door for passengers, many taxis in Japan are equipped with automatic doors. When the car stops, the driver will press a button or pull a lever to open the door. Passengers just need to get in and put their belongings in the trunk (if needed).

When passengers get into the car, the driver also presses the button to close the door. If there are only 1-2 passengers, the driver opens the back door. When there are 3 passengers, the front side door opens.