News: JR Kyushu tries out Blue Lighting at railroad crossings, attempts to prevent suicides
急増する踏切での飛び込み自殺を防ごうと、ＪＲ九州（福岡市）は管内の踏切の一部に、気持ちを落ち着かせる効果があるとされる青色照明を試験的に設置した。
青色が心に及ぼす影響は科学的には実証されていないが、先に導入した他社では自殺者が減っている。ＪＲ九州は「痛ましい事故を１件でも減らしたい」と効果を期待している。
同社はこれまでも、自殺が多い区間に柵を取り付けたり、白い照明を増やしたりしてきた。しかし、深刻な不況を背景に、２００９年度に管内で起きた飛び込み自殺は約５０件に上り、前年度の２２件から急増。特に夜間の自殺が多かった。
このため、３月下旬、過去３年間で５件の飛び込み自殺が起きた福岡市東区の鹿児島線・九産大前―箱崎駅間の７か所など、福岡、大分両県内の計２０か所の踏切に、蛍光灯や発光ダイオード（ＬＥＤ）の青色照明を設置した。日没から夜明けまで点灯させている。
青色照明は２０００年に英国・グラスゴー市が街路灯に導入したところ、犯罪発生件数が減ったため注目を集めた。国内でも、防犯灯として自治会などによる設置の動きが広がっている。
鉄道会社では、ＪＲ西日本が０６年１２月に導入した。同社は現在、約６０か所に設置しており、広報部は「設置したすべての踏切で、１年くらい自殺が起きていない」と効果を強調する。
ＪＲ東日本も、０９年２月に高崎線の３駅に取り付けたのを始め、中央線の２駅、山手線全２９駅のホームに設置した。京浜急行電鉄も、今年２月までに駅や踏切計１１か所に取り付けた。
国土交通省によると、飛び込み自殺で鉄道のダイヤが乱れるトラブルは年々増え、０８年度は全国で６４７件起きた。後続列車や利用者への影響も大きく、同省が各社に自殺防止策を取るよう呼びかけていることも、青色照明の導入に拍車をかけている。
日本色彩心理学研究所（神戸市）の高橋水木・主任研究員は「色彩と人の心の関係は科学的に証明できるものではない。ただ、青色に人の気持ちを落ち着かせ、緊張を緩める作用があるのは確か。自殺を思いとどまらせる効果も期待できる」と話す。
ＪＲ九州は３年後をめどに効果を検証する方針。鉄道事業本部・技術調査推進室は「青色照明の意義を知ってもらい、社会全体で自殺防止を考えるきっかけになれば」としている。（森洋二）
（2010年4月3日16時10分 読売新聞）
In an initiative to prevent suicides, JR Kyushu (Fukuoka City) is installing Blue Lighting system, which is known for calming effects, at some of their railroad crossings.
Although its not scientifically proven that blue light can affect emotions, other railway companies that used them have seen a drop in suicide rates. JR Kyushu says “We wish that even one tragic incident can be prevented” and looks forward to the effect of the lighting.
JR Kyushu installed more fences and white lighting at places with high suicide records, but due to the tough economy in 2009, there were 50 cases of suicide, up from 22 in 2008.
Because of this, JR Kyushu installed Blue Lighting at 7 crossings along the Kagoshima Main Line and 20 crossings in Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures. Florescent tubes are changed to blue LED lightings and are programmed to switch on from the evening to dawn.
Blue Lighting system is first used in Glasgow in the United Kingdom in year 2000, and is credited for lowering crime on the streets. In Japan, these lights are also widely used by resident associations.
Railway companies have used them since 2006, with JR West being the first, installing these lights at 60 locations. JR West’s PR department says “No suicide occurred at the crossings with these lights after 1 year they are set up”.
JR East started putting these Blue Lights at three stations along the Takasaki Line in February 2009, two stations on the Chuo Line and all twenty-nine stations along the Yamanote Line. The Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. also installed these lights at 11 spots including stations and crossings up to February this year.
The Transport Ministry says suicides leading to Diagram (schedule) problem have risen over these years, with 647 cases in 2008 alone. The Ministry advises railway companies to implement measures preventing suicides, as this affects trains and lots of passengers. This stimulates the installation of the blue lightings.
Mizuki Takahashi (Chief Researcher) of the Nihon Shikisai Shinrigaku (Color Psychological Research Institute) (Kobe City) says “There is not yet any scientific proof of the relationship between colors and the human psychology, but blue is shown to have lower emotional levels and has a smoothing characteristic, hopefully this will have the effect of lowering suicidal thoughts”.
JR Kyushu plans to review this system after 3 years of use. The Railway HQ, Technical Promotional Board says “It is known about the effects of the blue lights, it will be an opportunity that the society prevents suicides together”.
JR Kyushu installed Blue Lighting system at one of the crossings.
Photo and news article from Yomiuri News Japan.
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Dear readers, do you remember the suicide at Chinese Garden a few years back (2006) that kick-started a campaign to install half-height platform doors at elevated MRT stations? Now the solution is here, look no further, why spend so much money and man-hours at hardware, testing and getting used to the slow platform doors, when installing blue lights at platforms (not the whole length, but only the ends where suicide is likely to occur) are shown to lower not only crime on the streets, but suicides in train stations?
The Land Transport Authority and SMRT Corporation (the only rail operator with elevated stations) spent so much cash and talents on these hardware, but as i have experienced, the doors are sluggish to open. At some stations, they don’t match with the existing structure. All the more we should not alter the current structure, but did we ever do any research into installing such lights to attempt to prevent suicide?
Platform doors are not all about safety. A few seconds can be wasted on opening and closing the doors. When these doors decide to slack for the day, workers have to be dispatched to repair them, causing delays and inconvenience to commuters. Platform doors although beneficial in preventing daily accidents, shall not be said to be used to prevent suicides. A determined person can exceed normal human limits, including jumping over the doors.
I would suggest to the LTA and SMRT Corp to try install these Blue Lighting systems at several stations and especially stations with history of suicides to test their effectiveness. Platform doors can go on, but they are not the solution to preventing people giving up their lives.
Society campaigns and preventiveness is the method, software is often better than hardware.
Prevention is the best cure, each life has a value,
Befrienders.Org, Samaritans of Singapore (SoS), 1800-221-4444 (toll-free)
