A man found to have been cycling under the influence of alcohol has been charged in the western Japanese city of Osaka, becoming the first to be fined in Osaka Prefecture under newly tightened traffic regulations.

Police said they charged the 50-year-old cyclist on Friday morning after detecting alcohol over the legal limit on his breath. Prefectural police are tightening checks on cyclists as 24 fatal accidents involving cyclists occurred in the prefecture this year through the end of September – the highest number in the country.

Bicycle traffic regulations have been tightened across the country as a revised road traffic law came into force on Friday. Under the revised law, cyclists under the influence of alcohol face higher penalties.

Cyclists had not previously been penalized unless they were impaired to a point that made them unlikely to be able to ride properly. Under the revised law, a threshold of 0.15 milligrams of alcohol per liter of breath has been set. Anyone who exceeds that limit faces up to three years in prison or a fine of up to ¥500,000, or about $3,300.

So-called “distracted cycling” is also subject to penalties. Anyone who causes an accident or danger by using a mobile device while riding a bicycle faces up to one year in prison or a fine of up to ¥300,000.

Cyclists who talk to or look at mobile devices while cycling will face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to ¥100,000, even if they pose no danger.