Security ministry presses ahead with zero tolerance policy for drink driving
VOV.VN - The Ministry of Public Security has insisted on maintaining a total ban on alcohol consumption for drivers as part of wider efforts to promote a culture of traffic safety and to reduce traffic accidents.
This proposal was made as part of the road traffic order and safety bill which has been drafted by the Ministry and will be debated and approved at the upcoming National Assembly session in June.
In a report to the National Assembly, the Ministry proposed maintaining the zero-tolerance policy for drivers, despite heated arguments regarding the issue.
According to the Ministry, drink driving is a social problem that can be seen not only in Vietnam, but also elsewhere in the world. Therefore, countries globally work to strictly handle such behaviour, though there are both supporters and opponents. While some countries have imposed a drink driving limit, others have introduced a zero-tolerance policy.
“Given the current cultural and traffic conditions in Vietnam, it is really necessary to control alcohol concentration to zero when driving a vehicle,” explained the Ministry.
The actions of many road users are not good, particularly as they disregard or intentionally violate traffic laws, whilst some even challenge authorities when being inspected and handled.
“As a bad conscience can take the lives of many people, strictness is needed,” emphasised the Ministry.
Currently, the regulation banning road users from driving vehicles after consuming alcoholic beverages is stipulated in the Law on Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Alcohol Beverages in 2019.
“This law does not prohibit drinking alcoholic beverages, but only prohibits road users from driving after drinking alcohol beverages,” the Ministry further explained.
The World Health Organisation estimates that between 5% and 35% of global road deaths are alcohol related. In most high-income countries, about 20% of fatally-injured drivers have blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels above the legal limit. Meanwhile, studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries highlights that between 33% and 69% of fatally-injured drivers and between 8% and 29% of non-fatally injured drivers consumed alcohol before being involved in a road traffic collision.
In Vietnam, there have been many tragic traffic accidents caused by drink driving over recent years. Though the state promulgated the 2019 Law on Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Alcohol Beverages, wine and beer are commonly consumed by local people, mostly young people. Statistics show that Vietnam ranks second in Southeast Asia, 10th in Asia, and 29th in the world in terms of alcohol and beer consumption.
Statistics also indicate that about 18,000 victims are hospitalised annually due to traffic accidents, of which 36.9% of traffic incidents are alcohol-related, 36% of motorcyclists have blood alcohol levels above the legal limit, 66.8% of car drivers violate alcohol concentration regulations, and 11% of people who die in traffic accidents are killed in incidents related to alcohol.
