TOKYO >> Tougher penalties will be levied against anyone who uses a mobile phone while riding a bicycle, under the revised Road Traffic Law that went into effect Nov. 1. The law also imposes penalties for riding a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol.

Following a series of accidents caused by dangerous cycling, police intend to increase public awareness of the law and beef up enforcement.

Distracted cycling refers to acts such as talking on a smartphone or staring at a screen while riding a bicycle. Such actions were already prohibited under prefectural public safety commission rules, with fines of up to 50,000 yen (about $328) for breaking them. The new rules, however, impose a fine of up to 100,000 yen or up to six months behind bars. If a violator’s distracted cycling causes an accident, they face up to 300,000 yen in fines or imprisonment of up to a year.

According to the National Police Agency, the number of serious or fatal accidents caused by distracted cycling is on the rise, with 18 cases reported across Japan from January to June, more than double the number for the same period last year.

Until the revised law, rules against drunken cycling applied only in cases in which cyclists seemed to be too impaired to operate their bicycle properly. Under the new rule, merely riding a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol can subject a rider to imprisonment of up to three years or up to 500,000 yen in fines.

Anyone who serves alcohol to a customer knowing that they will ride a bicycle afterward may also be punished.