As many as 17,386 cases of drunk driving were handled in January with a total fines of more than 53 billion VND (2.27 million USD), according to the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department.

Traffic police will intensify their campaign to deal with violators on the road until February 14. (Photo: zing.vn)

Since the Government’s Decree No.100/2019 and the Law on Alcohol Harm Prevention took effect on January 1, nearly 10,700 drivers had their driving licenses revoked while 10,695 vehicles were seized.

Localities with high numbers of violations included Thanh Hoa (970 cases), Dak Lak (914), Tay Ninh (886), Bac Giang (789), Dong Nai (696), Ho Chi Minh City (672), Ca Mau (593), Gia Lai (534), and Hanoi (512).

According to new regulations, automobile drivers will be fined 30-40 million USD (1,297-1,729 USD) and have their driving licences revoked for 22-24 months if tests show that their blood alcohol concentration exceeds 80mg per 100 ml.

Motorcyclists may face a 6-8 million VND (259-346 USD) fine and have their driving licences revoked for 22-24 months for the same offence.

A report from the National Committee for Traffic Safety revealed that the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents decreased by six persons per day since the regulations came into force.

Traffic police will intensify their campaign to deal with violators on the road until February 14.

According to the Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association, Vietnamese people consumed 4 billion litres of beer in 2017. This means each Vietnamese person consumed an average of 43 litres per year, making the country the third largest per capita consumer in Asia, just behind China and Japan.

(Source: VNA)