HANOI: After two weeks of implementing a government decree which significantly increases penalties for various traffic offences, the situation regarding traffic order and safety has seen remarkable improvements.
The new decree has led to a reduction in traffice cases, fatalities and injuries, according to the Traffic Police Department.
Between Jan 1 and 14, traffic police nationwide addressed over 174,600 cases of traffic order and safety violations. This included revoking 17,595 driving licences and professional certificates, temporarily seizing 955 cars and 49,649 motorbikes, and deducting points from nearly 12,700 driving licences.
The number of penalties decreased by nearly 22,800 cases compared to the preceding period, accounting for 11.54 per cent of the total cases.
There were over 36,000 cases of alcohol-related violations, 2,888 cases of overload, oversized or modified cargo containers, more than 37,300 cases of speeding, 339 cases of drivers under the influence of drugs, and 3,279 cases of disobeying traffic light signals.
A representative of the Traffic Police Department evaluated that Decree 168, with its increased penalties for many violations, has profoundly impacted public awareness and significantly enhanced compliance among traffic participants.
Authorities and enforcement forces are determined not to view increased fines as boosting state revenue but to enhance public awareness and compliance with road traffic laws.
The number of cases where drivers run red lights, use sidewalks, or drive against the flow on one-way streets has visibly decreased, especially in major cities. Traffic participants have begun voluntarily adhering to traffic signals, even in the absence of traffic police, demonstrating a shift in awareness and responsibility, forming a traffic culture among citizens.
"During the peak periods before, during, and after the Tet holiday, traffic order and safety in major cities and nationwide are typically complex. However, with people's compliance, orderly traffic reduces the risk of prolonged congestion," said a representative from the Traffic Police Department.
According to the Traffic Police Department, traffic accidents have also seen marked reductions compared to the same period and the preceding time frame.
Specifically, there were 681 traffic accidents nationwide, resulting in 365 fatalities and 453 injuries.
Compared to the same period, this represents a decrease of 355 accidents (34.27%), 47 fatalities (11.41%), and 426 injuries (34.24%).
Compared to the preceding period, accidents decreased by 347 (34.53%), fatalities by 94 (20.47%), and injuries by 301 (39.92%).
On roads, there were 677 accidents, 363 fatalities, and 452 injuries, representing a decrease of 352 accidents (34.20%), 45 fatalities (11.03%), and 426 injuries (48.51%) compared to the same period.
Compared to the preceding time frame, road accidents decreased by 346 (33.82%), fatalities by 93 (20.39%), and injuries by 302 (40.05%).
Under Decree 168, which officially took effect on January 1, traffic violations are now subject to administrative fines that are several times higher, in some cases even dozens of times higher, than previous penalties.
Specifically, drivers of cars running red lights face fines ranging from VND18 to 20 million, four times higher than the previous regulation. Violations such as making U-turns on expressways, driving in the wrong direction or reversing on expressways, and riding motorcycles on expressways now carry fines two to three times higher.
Certain infractions, such as transporting unsecured cargo, obstructing or failing to comply with inspection and control requests from enforcement officers, or ignoring instructions from traffic controllers, are penalised with fines three to 30 times higher than before.
Notably, opening a car door or leaving it open in an unsafe way, results in a fine of VND22 million ($860), a dramatic rise from the previous VND600,000 ($23). - Vietnam News/ANN
