Even cows are a problem

July 27, 2012

Cows pose road hazard, Tepco told

Jiji

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120727a6.html

Fukushima police and the central government's local office for national roads want Tokyo Electric Power Co. to be careful when traveling to and from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and steer clear of abandoned cattle on the roads.

There have been 27 accidents involving vehicles that hit stray cattle, mainly while carrying workers to and from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, since the no-entry zone was established in spring 2011.

At a meeting Wednesday with Tepco officials in Kawamata, Toshihiko Kiyokawa, a police chief based near the plant, urged that workers keep a closer lookout for cattle on roads, noting a car striking a cow can have grave consequences.

Pointing out that 26 of the 27 accidents occurred at night and mainly involved black cattle, the police chief urged drivers to put their headlights on high beam and drive more slowly at night.

Despite efforts by the prefecture to round up strays, some 300 cows are still thought to be living in the wild.