Traffic accidents involving alcoholic drivers have long been a problem.
A 2014 revision of the Road Traffic Law allowed authorities to suspend or revoke a driver's license if the driver is an alcoholic, even if he or she had not caused an accident. But there have been few cases in which the driver's license has actually been suspended or revoked for that reason, due in part to the reluctance of doctors to file the complaint necessary.
Among those charged with drunked driving in Fukuoka Prefecture from 2015 through the end of July, 131 people were required to undergo a test to check for alcoholism. Of them, 43 were diagnosed as alcoholics.