MoPS proposes to reduce fines for drink driving

A traffic police officer checks the alcohol concentration level of a driver in Phan Thiết City in the southern province of Bình Thuận. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The Ministry of Public Security has proposed a significant reduction in fines for drivers with alcohol concentration levels that do not exceed 50mg in 100ml of blood or 0.25mg in one litre of breath.

Specifically, the ministry suggested imposing fines ranging from VNĐ800,000 to VNĐ1 million (US$39.6) for drivers with alcohol concentration level below or equal to 50mg in 100ml of blood or 0.25mg in 1 litre of breath.

The current regulations, under Decree 100/2019/NĐ-CP which took effect on January 1, 2020, stipulated the fine ranging from VNĐ6-8 million ($237-317).

The ministry said that reducing the fines stipulated in the decree for alcohol concentration levels to better align with the nature and severity of the violation.

It is currently seeking feedback on the changes.

For violations where alcohol levels in the blood or breath exceed 50 milligrams to 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.25 milligrams to 0.4 milligrams per litre of breath, the ministry proposed maintaining the current fine of VNĐ16-18 million ($634-713).

The fine for alcohol levels exceeding 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood or 0.4 milligrams per litre of breath remains at VNĐ30-40 million ($1,189-1,586).

The ministry also proposed fines for drunk motorbike riders. Fines ranging from VNĐ400,000 to VNĐ600,000 will be applied for riders with alcohol levels in their blood or breath not exceeding 50mg in 100ml of blood or 0.25mg in 1 litre of breath.

Currently, the fine for such violations ranges from VNĐ2 million to VNĐ3 million.

The ministry also suggested fines between VNĐ800,000 and VNĐ1 million for operators of specialised motor vehicles with alcohol levels in their blood or breath not exceeding 50mg in 100ml of blood or 0.25mg in 1 litre of breath.

The existing fine for this offense is VNĐ3 million to VNĐ5 million.

The Road Traffic Safety Law, recently approved by the National Assembly and effective from January 1, 2025, stipulates a complete ban on alcohol consumption for drivers operating any vehicle on public roads.

Specifically, it prohibited driving with any level of alcohol in the blood or breath.

The Ministry of Health has been assigned to regulate the health conditions of drivers and operators of specialised motor vehicles and to establish guidelines for determining both blood alcohol levels and endogenous alcohol concentrations.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, after traffic police intensified crackdown on drivers violating alcohol limits in 2023, the number of traffic accidents related to alcohol consumption decreased by 25 per cent, the number of deaths decreased by 50 per cent and the number of injuries decreased by 22 per cent compared to the same period in 2022. – VNS