What To Do if a Massive Earthquake (of an Intensity Lower 6 or Greater) Hits While You are Driving

~ Request from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) ~

Don’t Drive and Go Out Again after a Massive Earthquake

When a Massive Earthquake Occurs While Driving, Take the Following Measures

Initial Traffic Restriction

Upon a Major Earthquake, Police will Carry Out the Following Traffic Restrictions in an Effort to Save Lives or Firefight

1. Drive away from expressways, roads in the area surrounded by the Kannana dori (Tokyo’s Loop Road #7), or Emergency Access Roads. ① On an expressway, follow instructions given by a traffic information bulletin board or by police officers and then get off the expressway at an exit nearby. ② On a road in the area surrounded by the Kannana dori (or even after getting off an expressway), drive to a clear area away from the road immediately or drive out of the area surrounded by the Kannana dori. ③ On an Emergency Access Road, drive to a clear area away from the road or drive to other road immediately. Note: Right after a big earthquake, seven road routes ( expressways, Route #4, Route #17, Route #20, Route #246, Mejiro dori, and Sotobori dori ) will be restricted only for the passage of authorized emergency vehicles, such as fire engines, police cars, or Self-Defense Forces vehicles. For this reason, please drive away from such routes immediately. 2. After arriving at your destination, don’t use a car any more.

Secondary Traffic Restriction

1. Traffic from the Kannana dori to central Tokyo will be banned, but you can use the Kannana dori to make a detour. 2. The following road routes will be restricted only for the passage of authorized emergency vehicles, such as fire engines,police cars,or Self-Defense Forces vehicles.

Expressways, Route #4, Route #17, Route #20, Route #246, Mejiro dori, and Sotobori dori In addition, if an earthquake has caused an extremely large damage to Tokyo, wreaked havoc on roads in a wide range of the area, and severely hindered road traffic, then we’ll size up the situation and carry out additional traffic restrictions on regular roads alike.

1. Depending on a state of disaster, we’ll set up “Emergency Access Roads” to secure the passage of vehicles for a post-disaster recovery. 2. The “Emergency Access Roads” are only for the passage of vehicles (such as authorized emergency vehicles or others with a designation sticker attached as stipulated in the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures) to get engaged in emergency disaster control activities.

Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles (seven road routes)

The aforementioned seven “Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles”, plus Daiichi keihin, Daini keihin, Nakahara kaido, Meguro dori, Ome/Shin-ome kaido, Kawagoe kaido, Kitahon dori, Mito kaido, Keiyo doro, Kuramaebashi dori, Chuo-nanboku Line, Tohachi doro, Itsukaichi kaido, Inokashira dori, Mitaka dori, Koganei kaido, Fuchu kaido, Imokubo kaido, Mitsugi-hachioji Line, Shiki kaido, Shin-Okutama kaido, Yoshino kaido, Takiyama kaido, Machida kaido, Kitano kaido, Kawasaki kaido, Tama New Town dori, Ozakukita dori, Kamakura kaido, Yamato Bypass, and Hachioji-musashi-murayama Line

Key road routes to be designated as Emergency Access Roads (38 routes)

１．Entry of ordinary vehicles to the area surrounded by the Kannana dori (Tokyo’s Loop Road #7) will be banned. We’ll carry out traffic restrictions along the Kannana dori to cut down on the volume of traffic heading for central Tokyo.

３．Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles will be designated. We’ll designate the following seven road routes for authorized emergency vehicles and ban the other traffic.

National Expressway, Metropolitan Expressway

Sotobori dori Mejiro dori Route #246 Route #20

Route #17 Route #4

２．The number of “Emergency Access Roads” will be augmented. Depending on a state of disaster, we’ll designate, if necessary, the following road routes to be able to function as Emergency Access Roads.

Daiichi keihin Daini keihin Nakahara kaido Meguro dori

Ome/Shin-ome Kawagoe kaido Kitahon dori Mito kaido

Kuramaebashi dori Keiyo doro Inokashira dori Mitaka dori

Tohachi doro Koganei kaido Shiki kaido Fuchu kaido

Imokubo kaido

Itsukaichi kaido

Chuo-nanboku Line

Hachioji-musashi-murayama Line

Mitsugi-hachioji Line

Shin-Okutama kaido

Ozakukita dori Yoshino kaido Takiyama

kaido Kitano kaido Kawasaki

kaido

Tama New Town dori

Kamakura kaido

Machida kaido Yamato Bypass

１．“Emergency Access Roads” will be designated. We’ll prioritize “Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles” to be able to function as Emergency Access Roads.

Traffic Restrictions to Be Carried Out upon a Massive Earthquake (of an Intensity Lower 6 or Greater)

【Basic policy 】

【Traffic to be restricted 】

Secondary Traffic Restriction

２．Entry of ordinary vehicles to the area surrounded by Kampachi dori (Tokyo’s Loop Road #8) will be controlled. We’ll operate traffic signals to control the volume of vehicles heading for central Tokyo.

We’ll restrict traffic (as stipulated in “the Road Traffic Law”) upon a massive earthquake (of an intensity higher 5 or greater). To avert any traffic congestion in central Tokyo, we’ll ban, if necessary, the traffic of ordinary vehicles from heading for the area surrounded by he Kannana dori and at the same time, control the traffic heading for the area surrounded by the Kampachi dori.

Initial Traffic Restriction

Ｎ

Tomei Expressway

Route #4

Sotobori dori

Route #17

Tokyo-Gaikan Expressway

#7 Komatsugawa Line

#11 Daiba Line

Oji Line

#5 Ikebukuro Line

Kitano kaido

Nakahara kaido Meguro dori

Daini keihin

Daiichi keihin

Keiyo doro

Yamato Bypass

Yoshino

Metropolitan Intercity Expressway

４．In case of an earthquake that has caused an extremely large damage We’ll size up the situation and may restrict the traffic of ordinary vehicles.

Given that how the National Government of Japan will draw up a traffic control plan in Tokyo and its vicinity or that how the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices will revise the Regional Plan for Disaster Prevention, we’ll accordingly review the current designation of Emergency Access Roads.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD)

Pursuant to the Road Traffic Law, we’ll carry out traffic restrictions ( act of “Initial Traffic Restriction” ), right after a massive earthquake, to prevent dangers from happening on roads or to secure the smooth passage of vehicles in an effort to save lives or firefight. Subsequently, pursuant to the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures, we’ll set up Emergency Access Roads (act of “Secondary Traffic Restriction” ) to get engaged in accurate and smooth emergency disaster control activities. Even upon an earthquake of an intensity higher 5 with no major disastrous consequences, we’ll carry out traffic restrictions, in accordance with the Road Traffic Law, to keep road traffic safe and smooth.

Regular roads to be designated as Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles Expressways to be designated as Routes for Authorized Emergency Vehicles Key road routes to be designated, if necessary, as Emergency Access Roads

(as stipulated in “the Road Traffic Law”) (as stipulated in “the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures”)

(Nikko kaido, etc.)

(Koshu kaido, etc.)

(Nakasendo, Hakusan dori, etc.)

(Aoyama dori, Tamagawa dori)

kaido

No vehicle entry kaido

Ozakukita dori Kan-etsu Expressway

Chuo Expressway

Route #246

#3 Shibuya Line #4 Shinjuku Line

Wangan Line #1 Haneda Line

#1 Ueno Line

Kawaguchi Line #6 Misato Line

Inner Circular Route

I Kannana dori

#9 Fukagawa Line

Kamakura kaido

Mitaka dori Chuo-nanboku Line

Mits

ugi-h

achi

oji L

ine

H

achi

oji-m

usas

hi-m

uray

ama

Line

Route #20

Imokubo kaido

Fuch

u ka

ido

Kog

anei

kai

do