Drunk people sleeping on the sidewalks of central Tokyo on a Friday night may be a common sight, but when pedestrians fall asleep in the middle of the road, the consequences can be catastrophic.
The number of cases in which cars run over people asleep on the road rises in December, when more people get drunk at New Year's gatherings with colleagues and relatives, posing a significant risk to both pedestrians and drivers.
According to the National Police Agency, there were 300 such cases in 2023, in which 107 people died. Of the fatalities, 77 victims were drunk.
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