Handling record high alcohol concentration

On the morning of December 30, Colonel Nguyen Quang Nhat, Head of the Traffic Accident Investigation, Dissemination and Guidance Department (Traffic Police Department), said that in 2023, the police nationwide handled more than 3.4 million cases of traffic safety violations, fined more than 6,500 billion VND, revoked more than 664,000 driving licenses, and detained more than one million vehicles.

Of these, the number of alcohol violations was at a record high of more than 770,000, an increase of more than 460,000 compared to 2022. Motorcyclists accounted for the majority of violations. "Thanks to the drastic handling, traffic accidents have decreased by 9%, and deaths and injuries have decreased by 26% compared to 2022," said Colonel Nhat.

In 2023, the Ministry of Public Security directed local police to launch many peak periods to ensure traffic order and safety, in which the Traffic Police Department sent many working groups to coordinate with provinces and cities to organize inspections. Most recently, from August 30 to October 15, the whole country implemented a plan to conduct a general inspection of passenger transport vehicles and container trucks.

During this period, traffic police nationwide inspected nearly 200,000 vehicles and fined more than 6,100 cases of alcohol concentration violations. Police also identified more than 230 violators as officials, civil servants, and journalists. In addition to administrative sanctions, the authorities prosecuted 8 cases with 9 subjects for acts such as resisting law enforcement officers, possessing drugs, and using fake seals.

In 2024, the Traffic Police Department will continue to identify handling alcohol violations as a key task, with the spirit of "no forbidden zones, no exceptions, no days off and creating habits for people". The Department will also research better methods of handling alcohol violations so that in addition to penalties, it will also propagate, guide and supplement solutions to help people absolutely not drive when they have drunk alcohol.