Existing empirical evidence points to an inverse U-shaped relationship between motorcycle ownership and per capita income. Motorists tended to select cheaper modes of transportation, such as motorcycles and mopeds under low purchasing power, which promote a greater motorcycle to private car ownership. Contrarily, urbanisation induced long distance travel and this possibly induces a rise in car ownership at a particular level of per capita income. This study assessed the effect of the consumer price index, as the proxy of purchasing power, urbanisation, road density and per capita income on motorcycle to private car ownership. The panel data analysis is applied over the period of 1963-2013 for 76 countries. The main finding of this study indicates that purchasing power, urbanisation and road density played important role on national private vehicle ownership in a country. Policy implications were discussed in the conclusion part of the study.

The International Online Conference on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy in the Artificial Intelligence Era, held on July 10, 2025, brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from Japan, the European Union, Great Britain (GB), and Germany to examine the opportunities, risks, and regulatory challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in workplace safety and health. Organized by the Japan Association of Occupational Health

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work presented survey data and case studies on digitalization and AI use in Europe, identifying both safety improvements and psychosocial risks such as work intensification and loss of autonomy, alongside relevant EU legal frameworks. The GB Health and Safety Executive outlined a “pro-innovation” regulatory approach integrating AI oversight into existing sectoral regimes, supported by horizon scanning and standards development. BG BAU (Germany) shared practical AI deployment for accident prevention in the construction industry, including an inspector worklist app and AI-enabled inspection documentation, emphasizing scalability and human-centered design.

From Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reviewed current machinery safety regulations, the integration of AI and autonomous systems, and future regulatory perspectives, while also detailing AI-based digital transformation in labor standards inspection. JNIOSH reported on AI applications in fracture analysis, slope failure prediction, ergonomic risk assessment, and natural language processing of accident reports. Finally, survey results from Japan revealed distinctive cultural patterns in AI risk perception, with respondents highlighting transparency, accountability, and structured protocols as priorities, leading to legal policy proposals emphasizing co-regulation, international standard harmonization, risk communication, and the redistribution of responsibility to risk creators.

The concluding discussion addressed transparency, practical enforcement, and emerging concerns such as the potential for emotionally responsive AI to influence worker psychology. Across jurisdictions, participants stressed that proportionate, evidence-based governance, combined with international cooperation, is essential to ensure that AI enhances OHS outcomes while safeguarding worker well-being.

[in Japanese]