At a meeting on September 17 with administrators of traffic forums and social media pages, Major General Do Thanh Binh, Director of the Traffic Police Department, affirmed the goal of traffic reorganization is to reduce head-on collisions, ensure vehicles travel in single file, and overtake in the correct lane within the speed limit.

Specifically in inner cities, the Traffic Police will work with local authorities to narrow car lanes to end the situation of three cars driving abreast in two lanes.

Major General Do Thanh Binh speaking at the meeting. Photo: Viet An

Major General Do Thanh Binh speaking at the meeting. Photo: Viet An

At the meeting, administrators also made several proposals. Duc Hoang (Otofun) cited the accident on Nhat Tan Bridge that morning, where a cyclist going against traffic was hit by a car. He argued the car driver was "wronged" and suggested ending the precedent of "larger vehicles are always at fault." Nguyen Quoc Binh (OF.FB) supported banning trucks from the lane closest to the median strip on the Phap Van - Cau Gie and Hanoi - Hai Phong expressways to utilize the design speed. Others suggested increasing the installation of cameras for automated ticketing instead of direct speed enforcement by police.

In response, Major General Do Thanh Binh emphasized the need to change the mindset of "large vehicles must compensate smaller vehicles," stating that in accidents, the fault of each party must be determined, and compensation should be based on fault. He said the Department will explore shortening the time vehicles involved in accidents are impounded to avoid losses for citizens, while committing to transparency in handling speed violations.

"Wherever there are traffic police, signals will be turned on, and wherever there are cameras, signs will be posted. There will be no more police hiding in trees or perched on gantries to issue tickets," he said.

Viet An