Nghe An will issue fines for running a yellow light thanks to camera footage.

(Baonghean.vn) - Government Decree 46/2016 on administrative penalties for violations in the field of road and rail transport came into effect on August 1, 2016. Baonghean.vn had an interview with Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi - Deputy Head of the Road and Rail Traffic Police Department (Provincial Police) regarding this issue.

More than 100 violations have increased penalties.

PV:Government Decree 46/2016 came into effect on August 1, 2016. However, many people are still unaware of the contents of this decree.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi:Since 2013, regulations on administrative penalties for violations in the field of road and rail transport have been amended and supplemented three times. After a period of implementation of Decree 171/ND-CP and 107/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the field of road transport, some of the old penalties no longer meet practical requirements.

In my opinion, Decree 46 was issued in a timely and appropriate manner. The decree amends, supplements, and clarifies 105 acts and groups of acts that constitute violations. It also adds 45 acts and groups of acts not previously regulated in existing decrees to meet practical requirements.

Decree 46 adjusts the fines, supplementary penalties, and remedial measures for 115 acts and groups of acts, such as violations related to alcohol concentration, speeding regulations, highway violations, overloading, violations related to road transport business, and violations related to road transport infrastructure...

PV:Many traffic safety violations have had their penalties increased in Decree 46. Is the reason for this to increase revenue?

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi:According to Decree 46, many violations have increased penalties compared to the old regulations, such as: drunk driving, driving across the median strip, driving on the sidewalk, speeding violations, etc.

In summary, the main causes of accidents are primarily due to the aforementioned violations. In particular, in recent years, driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding have caused many serious accidents. Therefore, in my opinion, increasing penalties is reasonable, especially for those who intentionally violate the rules repeatedly and pose a danger to society.

Increasing the fines is not intended to collect more money, but rather to raise awareness, deter violations, and increase the deterrent effect. In my personal opinion, each penalty serves as an opportunity for education and reminders. Furthermore, if people comply with the law, the amount of the fine will no longer matter to them.

The fine for running a yellow light and a red light are the same.

PV:Some provisions in Decree 46 are causing public concern and generating conflicting opinions. A prime example is the proposed increase in the fine for running a yellow light to the same as running a red light, and the inclusion of both offenses as a single violation.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi:There is still a misunderstanding regarding the legal regulations on failing to obey traffic signals. Failure to obey any prescribed traffic signal will be penalized as the offense of "failing to obey traffic signals."

Specifically, the 2008 Road Traffic Law stipulates: A green signal means proceed; a red signal means stop; while a yellow signal means stop before the stop line, except if you have already crossed the stop line, in which case you may continue; in the case of a flashing yellow signal, you may proceed but must reduce speed, observe carefully, and yield to pedestrians crossing the road.

From August 1st, 2016, running a yellow light will be penalized the same as running a red light.

Therefore, the act of "not obeying traffic signals" refers to a driver failing to comply with the prescribed traffic light signals. The understanding that "running a yellow light" is permissible or that a violation will only result in a warning is incorrect.

According to Decree 46, drivers who run a yellow or red light will be fined the same amount: up to 2 million VND for cars and 400,000 VND for motorbikes.

PV:Many people argue that penalizing drivers for running a yellow light at the intersection with a red light is inappropriate because the yellow light period before stopping at a red light is meant to allow drivers to mentally prepare. If penalized for running a yellow light, it could create a dangerous situation where drivers have to brake suddenly.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Nghi:Currently, all traffic lights have countdown timers, so the idea that the yellow light lasting only 3 seconds causes confusion for drivers is incorrect.

Furthermore, as a rule, when approaching an intersection, drivers must reduce their speed to observe other vehicles. Therefore, drivers must control their speed and be able to stop when encountering a yellow light.

Therefore, if a driver fails to stop before the stop line when the traffic light turns yellow, this is considered a violation of the Road Traffic Law and will be subject to penalties. Penalties may be imposed either through direct inspection or via camera footage.

To apply the regulations in Decree 46 in practice, the Traffic Police Department organized training for officers and soldiers of all forces to ensure they understand the legal regulations correctly in order to carry out their duties, and at the same time guided and disseminated information to the public so that they are aware of and fully comply with the new regulations.

Thank you, sir!

Nguyen Hung