Japanese safety camera detects drunk passengers

A camera system that detects drunken passengers and alerts staff to prevent them from falling onto the tracks has been installed at a train station in Japan.

A graphic detailing how the cameras work

The motion detection system has been installed at Kyobashi station in Osaka by West Japan Railway, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, in a bid to reduce the number of instances in which drunken passengers have, most typically, awoken from a drunk slumber and stumbled head long onto the railway track.

As part of a study to reduce casualties, the West Japan Railway Co. examined all 3,300 falls onto the tracks that occurred during 2012 using CCTV footage, focusing on the 1,900 that involved alcohol.

It found that only 10% of these incidents had seen passengers stumble along the platform before stepping off the edge, as reported by the Japan Times. A further 30% had been stationary when their sense of balance failed causing them to fall onto the tracks. The remaining 60% had been semi-conscious on a bench, awaking suddenly only to rush forward and fall onto the rails.

“We found that many drunken people walk headlong off the platform and onto the track and that this often happens very quickly,” a JR West spokesman said. “This was a surprising result for us too.”

West Japan Railway has taken action to help prevent such incidents by installing 46 automated cameras at Kyobashi station in Osaka that look for signs of drunkenness, such as sitting on a bench for an extended period or weaving along the platform, alerting staff to intervene if necessary.

The company has also launched a pilot study at Shin-Osaka Station, changing the direction of its  benches to face away from the tracks.