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Why Japan Forbids Bus Drivers From Greeting Each Other
Official regulations have forbidden bus drivers in Japan from waving howdy to each other for 20+ years. But how many of them follow the rule? Survey says…
By Jay Allen
People in Japan were surprised recently to find a rule that many didn’t know existed: a restriction around bus drivers greeting one another as they pass by. As it turns out, however, this rule is just as often broken as it is followed.
Keep your eyes on the road, buddy
Japan has a reputation for rules and regulations. Often, people in charge enforce these without exception or flexibility. We’ve written in detail how schools tend to enforce regulations such as restrictions on sunscreen even during the hottest days of the year. Schools have also been subject to online backlash in recent years for outdated rules around hair color.
Now, local media is reporting on a rule involving bus drivers that many never knew existed. Most companies forbid bus drivers of all stripes from greeting one another as they pass by on the road.
The site Kuruma no News (Car News) explains why this rule exists. The head of the Nihon Bus Association (NBA) tells the site that it stems from a recommendation in the national guidelines set by Japan’s Ministry of Transportation.
The Ministry saddled the tome of recommendations with the weighty title 自動車運送事業者が事業用自動車の運転者に対して行う一般的な指導及び監督の実施マニュアル (roughly: Manual for the Standard Guidance and Conducting Supervision for Drivers of Vehicles for Transportation Companies). In the manual, it states:
すれ違う同社の運転者にあいさつ（挙手挨拶）されるなど、運転に集中できない状況も生じます。乗客の安全を確保するためには、走行中は運転に集中させましょう。
Driver’s attention can become diverted when two passing operators greet one another (raising hands in greeting). Operators should focus on driving when in motion in order to guarantee the safety of passengers.
