Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee has suggested that the government approve new and heavier penalties for drunk drivers of both automobiles and motorbikes, including vehicle confiscation, in a new move to improve road safety and alleviate traffic accidents.
>> Motorbikes entering expressways in Vietnam could be confiscated
These proposed new penalties are much more severe than those provided for in Government Decree 171 issued in 2013. (See the box at the bottom for comparison)
Accordingly, automobile drivers with alcohol levels of up to 0.25 mg per liter of breath or 50 mg per 100 ml of blood will face heftier fines, ranging from VND8 million (US$375) to VND15 million ($702), and will have their driver’s license revoked for six months.
For those with higher alcohol levels, from above 50 mg to 80 mg of per 100 ml of blood or from above 0.25 mg to 0.4 mg per liter of breath, the fines will be VND15-20 million ($702-939) and the duration of the driver’s license revocation will be 12 months.
In addition, violators will also have to take an exam on the Law on Road Traffic before they can be re-granted a driver’s license.
As for those with alcohol levels of over 0.4 mg per liter of breath or over 80 mg per 100 ml of blood, they will have the vehicles they have driven confiscated – not merely impounded as under current regulations – and they must also take an exam on road traffic rules if they want to get a driver’s license again.
Meanwhile, drivers of motorbikes with alcohol levels of 50-80 mg per 100 ml of blood or of 0.25-0.4 mg per liter of breath will be fined VND4-5 million ($188-235) and have to take the same traffic rule exam to be granted driver’s licenses.
For those with alcohol levels of over 80 mg per 100 ml of blood or over 0.4 mg per liter of breath, they will have the vehicles they are driving confiscated – not merely impounded as under current regulations.
In addition, they will have their driver’s license revoked for 24 months and they will have to take the said traffic rule exam.
The National Traffic Safety Committee has also re-affirmed its previous proposal that those who deliberately drive motorbikes on expressways in Vietnam will have those vehicles confiscated.
All the above mentioned new penalties have been put forward because the recent traffic order and safety situation continues to be complicated, with the death toll during the 2015 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday higher than that of the 2014 Tet, the National Traffic Safety Committee explained.
Many serious traffic accidents have been caused by drunk drivers, and cases of driving motorbikes or non-motorized vehicles on expressways have often taken place, posing threats to traffic safety, the committee said.
Under Decree 171/2013 by the government, a fine of VND500,000-1 million ($23.5-47) is applied to drunk drivers of motorbikes if they are found to have an alcohol level ranging from 0.25 mg to 0.40 mg per liter of breath, or 50-80 mg per 100 ml of blood. In addition, violators will have their driver’s license revoked for a month and their vehicle impounded for a week. With alcohol levels of over 0.4 mg per liter of breath, or 80 mg per 100 ml of blood, the fines for motorbike drivers range from VND2-3 million ($94-141). Such a driver will also have their vehicle impounded for a week and their driver’s license revoked for two months. As for drivers of automobiles, the fines are VND7-8 million ($329-376) for drivers with alcohol levels of 0.25-0.4 mg per liter of breath. In the case of the alcohol level being over 0.4 mg per liter of breath, the fine is VND10-15 million ($470-705). For both cases, drivers will have their automobiles impounded for a week and their driver’s license revoked for two months. |
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Đăng ký: VietNam News