Vietnam Ups the Ante on Traffic Fines, Offers Rewards for Informants
In a bid to crack down on rule-breaking drivers, Vietnam is offering residents up to 5 million dong (approximately $200) for reporting verified traffic offenses. The new rules, implemented since the beginning of the year, have dramatically increased fines for traffic violations, including running a red light and using a mobile phone.
Under the new system, individuals who report a verified traffic offense can claim 10% of the fine, up to a maximum of 5 million dong. The identities of informants will be kept confidential to ensure their privacy.
The new fines are intended to bring the estimated 77 million motorbikes and 6.3 million cars that rule Vietnam’s roads into line. However, the cost of these fines can be steep, with red-light running in a motorbike now costing up to 6 million dong, six times the previous amount, and 20 million dong for car drivers, double the previous figure. Mobile phone use behind the wheel has also been doubled in fines.
Many drivers are shocked and scared by the increased fines, including Grab bike driver Nguyen Quoc Phong, who regularly ran red lights in the capital Hanoi. “I am scared now. I have started to obey the rules strictly,” he said, expressing unease at the idea of being filmed and reported to police by a fellow Hanoian.
Road accidents claim 30 lives every day in Vietnam, while traffic in major cities is notoriously slow due to widespread disregard for traffic lights and road signs. While some drivers may be deterred by the increased fines, others remain defiant, including Phong, who stated, “I hate the idea of being filmed and reported to police by a fellow Hanoian.”
