Ministry mulls reduced fines for drunk driving

It is seeking inputs for a decree to guide implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law, which includes fines for people using cars and other four-wheel motorized vehicles after consuming alcohol, and wants to reduce the fines from the current VND6-8 million.

For motorbike drivers, the fines would come down from VND2-3 million to VND400,000-600,000.

For cyclists and people using other non-motorized vehicles with a blood alcohol level of 50-80 mg/100 ml or 0.25-0.4 mg/l of breath, it wants to reduce the fines by VND200,000 to VND100,000-200,000.

Vietnamese legislators passed the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety Bill on June 27, including the provision that drivers should not have any alcohol in their system.

The maximum penalties, for alcohol levels exceeding 80 mg or 0.4 mg, are VND6-8 million for motorbike drivers and VND30-40 million for car drivers.

The Ministry of Public Security has not revealed reasons for its proposal to reduce drunk driving fines.

At the National Assemby meetings late last year, several deputies said that an absolute ban of alcohol in drivers is too strict and not practical.