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Friday, 14th August 2015
In Japan Travel News,
Japanese railway station installs cameras to detect drunken passengers
New cameras have been installed at Kyobashi train station in Osaka, which have a specific job to do when it comes to keeping the public safe.
These new pieces of tech are specially designed to detect when a person is drunk and therefore putting themselves in danger near railway tracks.
West Japan Railway has had 46 of these cameras installed, which will scan for signs of intoxication and alert station attendants when necessary.
Signs that are expected to trigger a response include staggering and falling asleep on benches.
A spokesman for West Japan Railway told AFP: "We found that many drunken people walk headlong off the platform and onto the track and that this often happens very quickly."
The railway company has reassured the public that the measure has been put in place to prevent accidents, as opposed to identify anyone acting drunkenly.
Official statistics from Japan show that there were 221 people hit by trains after falling off platforms or getting too close between April 2013 and the same month the following year.
Of this number, it was found that 60 per cent of the accidents involved those who were drunk, proving the mix of alcohol and train tracks can be fatal.
The Kyobashi train station has been nominated for the first of the cameras to help prevent such accidents as it is located in close proximity to one of Osaka's main entertainment districts.
If the new scheme proves successful there, it may be rolled out to other stations across Japan's rail network.
As well as the cameras, the train operator has also re-orientated benches on platforms, as it found drunken people often stood up from them too quickly and lurched towards trains.
They are now positioned at the end of platforms instead of the front to help avoid accidents.
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