A new decree effective from next month will feature new regulations allowing Vietnamese police to use footage provided by citizens to fine traffic violators.

The new decree aims to empower people with more supervision over police activities by allowing any citizen to take photos or record cases of traffic violations and submit the evidence to the relevant police authority.

A Vietnamese policewoman in this file photo Tuoi Tre

The police will then be allowed to use the evidence in verifying and penalizing violators in accordance with the current law.

In addition, footage gathered from video surveillance and security cameras are also legitimate sources of evidence in handling traffic violation cases, according to the new regulation.

A senior official of the Department of Road Traffic Police recently said in an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the use of amateur photography and footage would follow strict procedures in order to avoid any false accusations.

The official said the evidence would go through inspection to detect any trace of having been edited, and would be compared to video surveillance if available to confirm its validity.

The new decree would also raise the fine for 194 traffic violations, making up a large part of the country’s attempt to improve its road safety.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)