Over recent times, Da Nang police forces have focused on clamping down on traffic violations across the city in a bid to reduce the likelihood of road crashes. It is very concerning that many violators have yet to fully understand the national traffic regulations. There is no denying that failure to comply with the road traffic regulations is one of the main causes of traffic accidents in the city. 

A traffic police officer pulls over a motorbike driver for an administrative inspection.

In particular, many road users have always kept a habit of talking on phones whilst driving, which goes against the laws. In fact, using a cell phone while driving is definitely a major road hazard in Viet Nam.

A car driver speaking on a mobile phone is three or four times more likely to be involved in a road crash than one who is not, and the risk increases to 20.3 times for motorbike drivers. They fail to concentrate and reduce their visual scanning of the road ahead, said a domestic traffic expert.

More recently, a male motorcyclist from Khue My Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District was fined VND 600,000 for using his mobile phone whilst driving. He was caught red handed keeping driving the motorbike with one hand on the wheel, the other on his phone.

Under the current Vietnamese regulations, fines of VND600,000 - VND1 million are  handed down on those using umbrellas, cell phones, audio equipment (except  hearing aids) whilst operating motorcycles, electric motorbikes, motorbike-like vehicles.

Car drivers are fined VND1 million - VND 2 million for talking on mobile phones while driving.

Besides, motorbike riders are required to carry along their driver’s license, vehicle registration certificate, and travel insurance for motorbike riders, also known as yellow paper insurance.

In detail, for motorbike riders, lacking a driver’s license is punishable by between VND800,000 and VND1.2 million, while forgetting to bring a license is punishable by VND100,000-VND 200,000.

Driving without a motorbike registration certificate is punishable by a fine of VND300,000-400,000 ($12-17), or VND100,000-200,000 for forgetting to bring the paper.

Drivers who do not have yellow paper insurance or bring the certificate with them will face a fine worth VND100,000-200,000.

Police officers are authorised to pull over road users, whether or not they have violated traffic rules, for an administrative inspection. The current law states that traffic cops can only pull someone over with probable cause.

Officers will be allowed to review road users’ documents, examine their vehicles, and perform breath tests for alcohol.

Drivers will be free to go if no violation is found. On the other hand, fines will be imposed if they are discovered breaking any regulations on road safety.

Drivers found speeding, encroaching on traffic lanes, disobeying signs, drag racing, or otherwise disrupting traffic order must be handled strictly.

According to the Da Nang Department of Transportation, in March, local traffic police force detected 3,673 violation cases and imposed a total of over VND2.4 billion in fines on 2,888 violators. Also, 122 vehicles were temporarily seized, and 301 offenders had their driving licences revoked.

Under the eight month-long anti-drink and drug driving campaign, which nationally runs from March 15 to December 31, 2021, Da Nang traffic police are being out across the city working proactively to target those flouting the law.

They are swarming main streets to carry out random vehicle stops in a bid to detect and deal with alcohol and drug-related violations by road users.

Reporting by THANH LAN – Translated by A.T