Alcohol – major cause of traffic accidents

Hanoi (VNA) – As many as 10,000 cases violating alcohol concentration regulations while driving were handled nationwide in August this year, mostly in Hanoi, Da Nang, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City, according to a senior police officer.

Although there were only 17 traffic accidents involving drunk drivers, alcohol is a major reason behind serious accidents, said Major General Tran Son Ha, head of the Traffic Police Department, during a meeting of the National Traffic Safety Committee in Hanoi on September 7.

Tran Ky Hinh, head of the Vietnam Department of Register of Shipping, alcohol was the cause of 40 percent of traffic accidents, but in fact, the rate is higher as alcohol leads to many violations of traffic safety rules.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung reported that 1,760 traffic accidents happened across the country in August this year, killing 705 people and injuring nearly 1,500 others. Compared to the same time in 2015, the cases dropped 2.8 percent, but the deaths increased 7.8 percent.

In the eight-month period, traffic accidents nationwide saw a year-on-year decline in the numbers of cases, deaths and injured, with 13,612 accidents, claiming 5,728 lives and wounding 11,781 others.

Last month, traffic police handled 137,100 violations, fining nearly 76 billion VND, withdrawing over 8,000 driving licences and seizing nearly 700 automobiles and 15,000 motor bikes.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who is head of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that despite a year-on-year drop in the numbers of accidents, deaths and injured in the first eight months of this year, traffic safety situation remains complicated. Many overload vehicles have yet been detected, while corruption has still been seen in handling violations, he noted.

He asked ministries, sectors and localities to strengthen law enforcement, while strictly implementing Decree 46/ND-CP on administrative punishments for road and railway traffic violations.

He highlighted the need to develop aviation infrastructure and ensure flight safety amidst the increase of airplanes.

The Deputy PM directed the Ministry of Transport to continue speeding up the building of legal documents, closely managing the transportation business, and seeking ways to ease road overloads.

Traffic police in localities should increase breath-testing on drivers to detect violations, he added.-VNA