During the Tet holiday, increased travel, family visits, and spring excursions lead to higher traffic density on many roads. While this is a time for joyful reunions, the reality is that many drivers, due to overconfidence, yielding to social pressure, or rushing, violate traffic regulations, posing a significant risk of accidents.
One of the most common issues is reckless parking in front of homes, temples, entertainment areas, or along central roads for convenience when attending ceremonies, enjoying spring festivities, visiting relatives, or taking photos. Many instances involve vehicles stopping or parking directly on roadways or sidewalks, obstructing visibility or impeding other traffic. This behavior not only causes localized congestion but also increases the risk of collisions.
Many drivers assume that law enforcement will be lenient during Tet, but automated camera systems do not take a holiday. According to Decree 168/2024, parking a car in a prohibited area or obstructing traffic incurs a fine of 800,000 to 1,000,000 VND, while motorbikes face fines of 400,000 to 600,000 VND. Fines can reach 22 million VND if an accident occurs.
Another violation that typically increases during the Tet holiday is drinking and driving. The mindset of "just a little won't hurt," being close to home, or yielding to invitations causes many to disregard safety principles. However, alcohol impairs observation, reflexes, and the ability to handle situations. Regulations state that car drivers with any blood or breath alcohol content, even at low levels, face strict penalties, including fines up to tens of millions of VND and long-term license suspension. For motorbikes, fines have also increased significantly compared to previous periods.
This is considered one of the most severely penalized offenses. Notably, starting from 10:00 on the first day of Tet, law enforcement agencies launched an extensive campaign to strictly penalize this behavior. Under Decree 168/2024, drivers violating alcohol limits face maximum fines of 40 million VND for cars and 10 million VND for motorbikes.
Running red lights is also a common offense, especially when traffic volume is lower than usual. Many drivers, impatient to hurry to appointments or seeing empty roads but facing long waits (over 100 seconds) at intersections, proceed through. Just a few seconds of impatience can lead to serious collisions at intersections. According to Decree 168/2024, failing to obey traffic signals incurs a fine of 18-20 million VND (20-22 million VND if an accident occurs) for cars, and 4-6 million VND (10-14 million VND if an accident occurs) for motorbikes.
Additionally, carrying more passengers than allowed, particularly motorbikes carrying three or four people on short spring excursions, remains prevalent. Many parents allow children to stand in front without appropriate protective gear. Regulations state that motorbike operators carrying too many passengers or not wearing helmets themselves and for their rear passengers will be fined and receive license point deductions. Children aged 6 and above are required to wear helmets, and violations are penalized similarly.
Tet is a time for family reunions, but it is also a period when traffic accidents tend to increase. Self-awareness, alertness, and adherence to regulations remain the safest shield for every journey at the start of the year.
Nguyen Vu
