Traffic police complain it is difficult to fine people wearing fake helmets.

Implementing plan No. 69 of the National Traffic Safety Committee, from tomorrow (July 1), the authorities will officially simultaneously handle drivers of motorbikes, electric motorbikes, and electric motorbikes participating in traffic without wearing helmets or wearing helmets incorrectly, or wearing helmets other than helmets according to Decree No. 171/2013/ND-CP.

People who use poor quality helmets will be fined from July 1. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+)

However, right before the G hour of the fine, the traffic police force themselves admitted that they could not distinguish between helmets of guaranteed quality and were facing many difficulties in handling this behavior.

Only warning, no penalty yet

According to Colonel Dao Vinh Thang, Head of the Road and Railway Traffic Police Department of Hanoi City Police, the regulation to punish people wearing substandard helmets is correct in order to reduce traffic accidents.

However, Colonel Dao Vinh Thang also admitted that if this penalty regulation is applied, the traffic police force will face difficulties, because up to now, they have only relied on guidance documents to visually identify helmets, so it is not easy to confirm whether the helmet is of guaranteed quality or not, while there is no equipment or machinery to determine whether the helmet is fake or real.

Pointing out the immediate difficulties, the head of the Hanoi Traffic Police said that according to the regulations, there is only a fine but no guidance on temporarily confiscating substandard helmets. If the helmets are confiscated, will the drivers be allowed to continue driving or not? If the helmets are not confiscated, it is very likely that people will wear the old helmets and continue to violate the law.

In addition, Colonel Dao Vinh Thang also affirmed that if people and vehicles strictly comply with traffic laws, the force is not allowed to stop, check, or handle people wearing fake helmets.

“The imposition of fines on people wearing fake helmets should not be implemented immediately. First, we must remind and propagate on newspapers, radio, and through traffic police forces so that people know and are aware that wearing helmets that meet standards and specifications is civilized and protects lives when participating in traffic,” Colonel Dao Vinh Thang emphasized.

Agreeing with this view, Colonel Dinh Van Ninh, Head of the Traffic Police Department of Ninh Binh Province Police, said that the current traffic police force cannot distinguish between real and fake helmets.

“The quality of helmets must be left to other forces to detect and manage, as the traffic police cannot distinguish between fake and real helmets. Furthermore, by late this afternoon, the Ninh Binh Traffic Police Department had not yet received any instructions on the temporary confiscation of fake helmets when detecting violations by road users,” said Colonel Dinh Van Ninh.

Traceability, fines for production and business establishments

According to observations of the helmet market in Hanoi late this afternoon (June 30), some streets that are usually busy with fake helmets such as Pham Van Dong, Pham Hung, Ho Tung Mau, Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Chua Boc, Nguyen Trai... have become more deserted.

Low-quality hat vendors are still scattered on the sidewalks even though the penalty date is near. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+)

According to helmet stores, recently, the media has announced regulations to punish poor quality helmets, so few people buy fake helmets.

However, although many stores have imported batches of helmets that meet quality standards, the number of buyers mainly comes to look and has no intention of buying new helmets because customers think that standard helmets have heavy designs and high prices.

According to the traffic police, state management agencies must be determined to stop the problem at its source and severely punish those who produce and trade fake helmets in the hope of ending the problem of poor quality helmets.

“The most important solution to this problem is to severely punish establishments that produce and sell fake helmets and helmets that do not meet quality standards, and not allow helmet businesses to circumvent the law to produce. To do this, market management forces and economic police must also get involved,” Colonel Dao Vinh Thang suggested.

Although the authorities are involved, many people are still wondering whether this time, the helmet regulation issue will really be effective?./.

According to Joint Circular No. 06/2013 of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Transport, Public Security and Industry and Trade, helmets must have three complete components: shell, shock-absorbing padding inside the shell (protective padding) and straps; have a design that meets the prescribed requirements and has been certified, declared to be in accordance with national technical regulations, affixed with the CR conformity mark, and labeled according to the provisions of law. Helmets with imitation designs that do not meet the above technical standards will not be considered helmets.

Road users wearing helmets that do not meet technical standards will be punished the same as those who do not wear helmets or wear helmets that are not fastened properly, with fines ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 VND.

According to Vietnam +