The Government plans to raise fine levels for
motorists whose vehicles fail to meet safety regulations and whose horn exceeds
permitted noise levels.

The Government plans to raise fine levels for motorists whose vehicles fail to meet safety regulations.

Under
Decree 33/2011/ND-CP, which comes into effect on July 1, motorists will be fined
between VND300,000 and VND500,000 (about US$15 and $25) if their vehicles do not
have a fire extinguisher and a hammer or an axe to break windows in an
emergency.

Fines of
VND2 million and VND3 million ($100-$150) will be meted out to drivers whose
vehicle’s horn is too loud.

Under
the previous decree, the fine level was set at VND300,000-VND500,000.

The new
decree also sets out new fines for drivers of overloaded vehicles and for
illegal parking, which will range from VND3-5 million ($150-$250).

Hoang
Van Manh, deputy chief inspector of the Ha Noi Department of Transport, said the
fine levels should be strict enough to deter motorists from breaking the law.

“The
decree will help improve traffic safety. With quite high fine levels, motorists
of course will improve their awareness when driving and better maintain their
vehicles,” he said.

Mai
Quang Thang, who drives a seven-seat coach, supported the change in the law.

“I
myself also feel tetchy when other motorists horn too loudly. It disturbs other
drivers and can be dangerous because it’s distracting,” he said.

However,
not every motorist supported the new decree.

A car
driver, who didn’t want to reveal his name, said it was not necessary to fine
every car or coach driver for not having a fire extinguisher or a hammer in
their vehicle.

“The
regulation should be applied to long-distance lorries and coaches only because
they are more likely to have an accident while travelling along inter-provincial
highways. Four-seat cars like mine are mostly used in cities. There, this kind
of equipment is not needed,” he said.

Last
October, floodwater swept away a coach travelling along National Highway 1A in
central Ha Tinh Province with 37 passengers on board.

Some
swam to safety, but 20 died. The coach, which was washed into an adjacent rising
river, was not carrying a hammer or axe with which to break windows so the
passengers could escape.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News