Is it illegal to not close the car trunk while driving?

Is it mandatory to close the car trunk when moving?

While trucks are required to lock and secure the rear door of the vehicle while driving to avoid being fined according to the Decree on administrative penalties for traffic violations, cars do not have specific regulations on whether or not they must close the trunk when participating in traffic.

Therefore, drivers are not required to close the trunk of their car when driving on the road. However, to ensure safety, car users should carefully close the trunk before driving. Because not closing the trunk of a car, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is a potentially dangerous act for other road users.

Not closing the trunk of a car not only affects the rear view of the driver but can also cause goods and belongings inside to be scattered during the move, affecting other vehicles. More seriously, it can cause traffic accidents.

Not closing the car trunk while driving, will I be fined?

Although there is no regulation requiring the car trunk to be closed when driving, if the trunk is used to carry goods and the trunk cannot be closed while driving, the road user may be subject to administrative penalties.

Pursuant to Article 72 of the Road Traffic Law, the transportation of goods by car must ensure that the goods on the vehicle are neatly arranged and securely tied, not scattered. At the same time, it must also ensure that the goods do not exceed the vehicle's allowable load and size limits.

For more detailed guidance on this regulation, Article 15 and Article 19 of Circular 46/2015/TT-BGTVT clearly state that goods loaded on vehicles must comply with regulations on total vehicle weight, axle load, height, width, and permitted length of goods loaded on vehicles. Specifically:

- The allowed loading width is equal to the width of the vehicle body.

- The allowed length of the loaded goods must not be greater than 1.1 times the total length of the vehicle and must not be greater than 20m. When transporting goods with a length greater than the length of the vehicle's cargo bed, there must be a sign and they must be securely tied to ensure safety when participating in traffic.

- Passenger vehicles are not allowed to carry goods or luggage that protrudes beyond the vehicle's outer dimensions.

According to the provisions of Point e, Clause 3, Article 23 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, in case passenger cars, people-carrying cars and similar vehicles carry luggage and goods exceeding the outer dimensions of the vehicle, the driver will be fined from VND 600,000 to VND 800,000.

In addition to being fined, drivers may also have their driver’s license revoked for 1-3 months. Therefore, to avoid being fined, drivers should pay attention to neatly arranging the luggage in the trunk of the car to ensure safety.