Drivers on residential roads in Japan have been forced to take their foot off the accelerator, after the speed limit was slashed from 60km/h (37mph) to 30km/h in an attempt to reduce deaths and injuries among pedestrians on narrow urban streets.

The new limit, which went into effect on Tuesday, applies to residential roads with no centre line or maximum speed signs, media reports said.

Narrow roads with no centre lines or pavements are a common sight in crowded Japanese cities, with data indicating that children and older people are at particular risk of being involved in a fatal or serious accident.

The measures apply to about 870,000km of roads that are less than 5.5 metres wide and do not have centre lines or median strips, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. They account for about 70% of the country’s general roads, the newspaper said.

Authorities hopes the restrictions will address concerns that residential areas are not experiencing the same improvements in safety seen on larger roads.

While the overall number of deaths in traffic accidents is in decline – falling to a record low of 2,457 last year – those involving children and older people on residential roads has remained steady at about 300 a year since 2021, and rose for the first time in three years in 2025, according to the national police agency.

The introduction in 2011 of “zone 30” areas on a limited number of residential streets and along school routes resulted in a 30% reduction in fatalities and serious injuries, the Mainichi said.

Police agency data show that the mortality rate among pedestrians is less than 1% in accidents involving vehicles traveling at or below 30km/h, with the rate rising to 2.7% at speeds of 30-40km/h, and to 17.4% at 50-60km/h.

“We ask drivers to recognise that they need to take particular care on roads shared by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists,” the police agency’s commissioner general, Yoshinobu Kusunoki, told reporters this week.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/02/japan-new-speed-limit-30kmh-narrow-city-streets

Kennt jemand einen billigen, guten Elektriker der den Repaturbonus akzeptiert? Muss einen (billigen) Reiskocher reparieren, ich weiß schon die Reparatur wird wahrscheinlich teurer als das Gerät sein.

This is not a review because I really don't have the sensitivity to describe how the wheels feel and what their pros and cons are. Just wanted to share my experience with the brand.

Almost two years ago I replaced the wheels of my 2016 enduro MTB. The previous wheels (which came with the bike) worked fine, but they had seen a lot of use and I wanted a little upgrade. The people at the company were friendly and helpful, even taking back one wheel and sending me another free of charge because I had ordered the wrong width. Do I ride better with the new wheels? Probably. I couldn't tell. For sure I didn't notice the same difference as when I did the same on my road bike. The freewheel does make a very loud and satisfying "click-click" though, and that has to mean something, right?

A few months back a nipple broke, which I don't think had ever happened with the previous wheels. It was a bit of a PITA to replace it, what with riding tubeless, but I did it. But after a few thousand meters of descent another one broke, and then yet another one. So I got suspicious and I wrote to Hunt, as the warranty was still valid. Again they were very friendly, told me that nipples are considered "wear and tear" but still sent me a set of brass nipples (not brass-coloured, unfortunately), rim tape, and the promise to refund what the mechanic would charge me for the job, up to a certain amount (which they did, although I paid almost twice as much).

So I don't know what to think. Their customer service is good, but maybe, despite what they said, they had a duty to replace the items in warranty. Also in many years of riding I'd never had a problem with the previous wheels, and here the nipples lasted less than 24 months. And I don't ride particularly fast nor do any jumps. They said that the original nipples are light and more fragile, while the new ones made of brass should be sturdier. I'm curious to find out.

Hallo, gibt es in der Stadt einen Tisch mit Banken wo man auch bei Regen einen Picknick machen kann? Ich kenne ein paar solche Strukturen, sie sind aber mit den Öffis nicht einfach zu erreichen.

(Dritter Versuch, hoffentlich geht's jetzt :D)

Hallo, gibt es in der Stadt einen Ort wo man sich kostenlos treffen könnte um einen Picknick zu haben, auch bei Regen? Ich kenne ein paar solche Strukturen, aber die sind mit den Öffis nicht einfach zu erreichen.

Danke im voraus :)

Muchos daños?

Hello people. Amateur rock drummer here, looking to replace my crash. I've found these options, all second hand. Which one is the best deal?
Thanks in advance 🤘

1. Paiste PST7, very little use, 80€

2. Paiste PST8, very little use, 80€

3. Zildjian Scimitar, good conditions, 77€

4. Paiste 502, very good conditions, 50€

5. Paiste Pst5, never used, 57€

6. Ufip rough series, with a few cm sawn off the edge, 50€

Hallo, will jemand ein Abo für die Tiroler Tageszeitung teilen?

Ciao, segnalo che ci è stata rubata più volte la "lockbox" (cassetta con lucchetto e combinazione) che avevamo lasciato fuori da casa con le chiavi. Era agganciata su una parete privata, ma in strada.

Qualcuno sa di altri a cui è successo? Immagino sia una protesta contro gli affitti brevi.

Hello, I've heard this story from someone from the area, who claims to have heard it from someone whose brother witnessed the event first-hand.

During the siege of Sarajevo there was a group of people who walked at night to go get water from a well or a fountain. They moved in complete darkness, without any kind of lightning, to avoid being seen by the Serbian snipers. Some non-specified UN forces were standing by in their vehicles, and they turned on their headlights just "for fun", to see what would happen.

I know the UN has been harshly criticized for their behavior during the wars in ex Yugoslavia, but this story seems very much of a stretch to me. Is it completely made up? Could there be some truth to it? If so, what?

Thank you.

I just put on a new chain, and the link where I closed it with the connecting pin is a bit stuck - it moves, but not so freely as the other ones. I'm quite sure this is because I twisted the link just a bit while pushing the pin in with the chain tool. Is this bad? Should I do something about it or will the link become looser with use? I thought I could pry the link wider with a flat screwdriver, but I don't want to twist it even more.

Also bonus question: should I wash and/or lube the chain?

Thanks in advance :)