Slowing down (jokō)
徐行 · jokō
Definition
In Japanese traffic law, jokō means driving at a speed slow enough that you can stop immediately — not merely easing off the accelerator. It is a legal duty at specific places such as near pedestrians, blind corners, and steep downhill sections.
On the test
True/false example: "Slowing down (jokō) means proceeding at a speed at which the vehicle can be stopped immediately." — True. The test often contrasts this with a wrong version that says 'a speed of about 10 km/h', because the law defines it by stopping ability, not a fixed number.
The law behind it
The Road Traffic Act, Article 2, defines jokō as "proceeding at a speed at which the vehicle can stop immediately." There is no fixed km/h figure — what matters is that you could stop at once.
Road Traffic Act, Article 2 (Definitions), item 20 (official source)
Related guide
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