Colonel Cao Minh Phuong: 'Restriction does not mean stopping checking and handling alcohol concentration violations'

PV:How do you evaluate the results?1 month of implementing Decree 100/2019/ND-CP on handling violations of alcohol concentration when driving vehicles in traffic?

Colonel Cao Minh Phuong:After 1 month of handling violations of alcohol concentration according to Decree No. 100/2019/ND-CP in the province, the traffic police force has punished 319 cases, including 48 cars and 271 motorbikes.

Although this is only the initial result, there have been positive signs. It is worth mentioning that the majority of people agree and support the strict punishment of violations of alcohol concentration when participating in traffic. It can be said that, in addition to the penalty level, this is really a reminder, deterrent, and a strong enough signal to help people not violate.

Violations: 36 car drivers and 182 motorbike drivers had blood pressure not exceeding 0.25 milligrams/1 liter of breath; 6 car drivers and 51 motorbike drivers had blood pressure exceeding 0.25 milligrams to 0.4 milligrams/1 liter of breath; 5 car drivers and 35 motorbike drivers had blood pressure exceeding 0.4 milligrams/1 liter of breath; 1 car driver and 3 motorbike drivers did not comply with alcohol concentration testing requirements. The total fine for alcohol concentration violations is 1,514,500,000 VND.

The breathalyzer is replaced after each blow and collected for hygienic disposal. Photo courtesy

PV:The goal of handling alcohol violations for drivers is to reduce traffic accidents. So, can you tell us how the traffic accident situation in Nghe An province has developed over the past month?

Colonel Cao Minh Phuong:We all know that drinking and driving is one of the main causes of traffic accidents. In Nghe An province, in 2019, there were 294 traffic accidents, killing 182 people and injuring 210 people. Accordingly, causing huge damage to human life and property, irreparable loss, taking away the happiness of many families and clans...

Of the accidents that occur, 15% of serious traffic accidents are caused by alcohol abuse, driving on the wrong side of the road, lane, not controlling speed, not paying attention, avoiding illegal overtaking... It is worth mentioning that drinking and driving does not only happen at the end of the year, when parties and meetings often take place, but also happens every day.

However, since the implementation of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, with the new point of strictly prohibiting drivers of vehicles with alcohol concentration in their breath or blood, including bicycles and other rudimentary vehicles, traffic accidents have decreased significantly. Comparing the data in January 2020 (from January 1 to 31), there were 16 traffic accidents in the province, killing 8 people and injuring 17 people. Compared to January 2019, there were 2 fewer cases, 1 fewer deaths, 3 fewer injuries... This is a number that is partly due to our strict handling of drivers who drink and drive.

During the 7 days of Tet holiday (from January 23 to January 29, ie from the 29th to the 5th day of Tet), there were 4 traffic accidents in Nghe An, killing 1 person and injuring 6 people. Compared to the same period in 2019, there were 3 fewer accidents, 3 fewer deaths, and 1 fewer injuries.

Drivers comply with alcohol concentration tests. Photo: Document

The good news is that there are few legal regulations that, after only a very short time of implementation, have created such positive changes. In fact, people from urban to rural areas, from plains to mountains, everywhere people talk about Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, especially violations of alcohol concentration.

Accordingly, many parties and meetings have stopped or completely reduced the use of alcoholic beverages. For example, during the recent Tet holiday, I went back to my hometown in Dien Chau, and when I went to wish everyone a happy new year, no one forced me to drink alcohol. Many families only invited each other to drink green tea, and everyone was very happy and felt healthy.

In fact, Vietnamese people in general, and Nghe An people in particular, are sentimental, accommodating, inviting, provoking, and forcing each other to drink for many reasons. Therefore, the absolute ban on alcohol concentration creates a clear limit for people to follow, creating real effectiveness in reducing traffic accidents.

PV:With the current initial results, do you believe that Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, which includes regulations on penalties related to alcohol concentration, will be successful as we previously implemented the regulation requiring traffic participants to wear helmets?

Colonel Cao Minh Phuong:The fact that we implemented Decree 100 right before Lunar New Year, the time when people's demand for alcohol and beer increases during the year, but in fact traffic accidents at this time have decreased, especially traffic accidents related to alcohol and beer, is initial proof of success.

I believe that with the determination of the entire Party, the entire people, especially each cadre, civil servant and functional force in performing public duties in each locality. Along with that, right from the implementation, the consensus of public opinion and strong support from the press have made Decree 100/2019/ND-CP quickly "covered" the people, especially the regulations on alcohol concentration.

Traffic Police of Vinh City Police analyze the violations for violators. Photo: Document

Therefore, we can completely believe that Decree 100/2019/ND-CP in general, and the regulations on penalties related to alcohol concentration in particular, will be as successful as our previous implementation of the mandatory helmet wearing regulation.

PV:So, this is a good opportunity for us to continue implementing and bringing Decree 100 into life, helping people change their awareness and behavior. However, the current situation of the Corona virus epidemic is complicated, many people are concerned that blowing alcohol concentration may risk spreading the disease. Could you tell us about the implementation plan of the provincial traffic police force at this time, as well as in the long term, sir?

Colonel Cao Minh Phuong:Regarding the issue of people worrying about the risk of transmitting the Corona virus through the breathalyzer, it can be said that transmitting the Corona virus through the breathalyzer is very difficult, because according to experts from the World Health Organization, technically, the breathalyzer has a one-way valve so it can only be blown in and not inhaled.

In Nghe An, before each patrol shift, the alcohol concentration measuring machine is sterilized; the current testing process is that each person blows a tube, and immediately after testing the previous case, a new tube will be replaced to test the next case, so there will be no remaining breath from the previous person, so there is no worry of the blower being infected through the blowing process.

However, at the conference on implementing solutions to prevent and combat the Corona virus epidemic organized by the Provincial Police on the morning of February 1, Major General Nguyen Huu Cau - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Provincial Police Department directed the Traffic Police force to limit the measurement of alcohol concentration of drivers participating in traffic. But that does not mean that there will be no inspection and handling of alcohol concentration violations as many people think.

The Traffic Police - Order Team, Vinh City Police gave masks and combined with disease prevention propaganda to passengers waiting for buses at Bac Vinh Bus Station. Photo: Document

Accordingly, the implementation of the project will be temporarily suspended, but through patrolling and controlling, if detected, it will still be handled normally. The inspection will be more careful, along with the inspection process as in the past, currently each officer and soldier must wear a medical mask when contacting and working with people.

In the long term, on the basis of determining that alcohol concentration violations while driving are one of the main causes of traffic accidents. Therefore, along with patrolling, controlling, and strictly handling other violations, we will continue to direct teams, stations, and local police to inspect and handle violations of alcohol concentration on national highways, provincial roads, and all roads managed by localities.

Do not let the handling of alcohol concentration slacken, or in other words, "head of the elephant, tail of the mouse". In cases where traffic participants run away, deliberately do not comply with requests or have acts of resistance to traffic police when being checked for alcohol concentration, they will be punished at the highest level for this behavior.

Believing that, from the goal of reducing traffic accidents, there will be changes, towards a culture of responsible drinking of alcohol and beer for each citizen, forming the habit of "having drunk alcohol or beer, not driving", the work of the traffic police force in general, and the Nghe An traffic police force in particular, is always supported by the people.

PV:Thank you!