Looking back at the first two months of implementing Decree 46/ND-CP

(Baonghean)Traffic accidents are trending downwards, and people's awareness of traffic laws has improved... these are noteworthy results after nearly two months of implementing Decree 46/ND-CP on regulations for administrative penalties in the field of road and rail transport.

Traffic police of Nghi Loc district are disseminating information about the new points in Decree 46 to the public.

Traffic accidents decreased.

From August 1st, 2016, Decree 46/ND-CP on regulations for administrative penalties in the field of road and rail transport came into effect, replacing Decree No. 171/2013/ND-CP and Decree No. 107/2014/ND-CP. After nearly two months of implementation, traffic safety in the city has seen many positive changes.

Observing the intersections on many roads in Vinh City, people and vehicles move in a fairly orderly and disciplined manner. During peak hours, at key traffic checkpoints and areas near schools, the density of people and vehicles is high, and the sight of police officers in blue uniforms and traffic police directing and guiding traffic has become familiar.

Over the past nearly two months, traffic police have actively participated in guiding traffic, increasing patrols and inspections, and strictly handling violations, especially those that directly cause traffic accidents, along with heavy penalties under Decree 46/ND-CP. In addition, the dissemination of regulations under Decree 46/ND-CP has had a positive impact on public awareness and understanding.

Mr. Hoang Van Hieu, residing in Cua Nam ward (Vinh City), said: "Before Decree 46 came into effect, many people deliberately ran yellow lights, leading to numerous collisions that caused great concern for residents, especially those like me who are taking their young children to school. But now, this situation has significantly improved; many people voluntarily stop when they see red or yellow lights."

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Traffic police in Cua Lo town issued a traffic violation report to the offender.

People's awareness of traffic laws in localities has also improved. In Quynh Luu district, after the implementation of Decree 46, the number of traffic safety violations has been basically controlled and reduced. People have shown a high level of self-awareness and compliance when participating in traffic.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, residing in Cau Giat town (Quynh Luu district), said: "Increasing the penalties for some traffic violations is absolutely necessary to deter people from complying with traffic laws. Previously, the penalties for traffic violations were too light, so they were not enough to deter people. We fully support this policy."

In Nghi Loc district, the local traffic police force organized briefings and implemented the new points in the decree, presenting complex scenarios for officers and soldiers to study and apply.

Continue to raise public awareness through propaganda and education.

According to the head of the Traffic Police Department, through inspection and enforcement activities, it has been observed that some violations such as exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit, overloading, speeding, and failing to obey traffic signals still account for a high percentage.

In some isolated cases, individuals have exhibited defiant behavior and attitudes, refusing to cooperate with traffic police during alcohol breath tests and vehicle inspections. Due to the increased fines, traffic police often face public opposition when enforcing penalties, especially in dealing with overloaded vehicles.

In addition, the number of students using electric bicycles and electric motorbikes in violation of traffic safety regulations is increasing, while their driving skills are still limited, leading to a high potential risk of traffic accidents.

Although Decree 46 has been issued and widely publicized through mass media, many people, especially those who directly operate vehicles, only have a general understanding of the regulations or have not fully grasped them. Captain Nguyen Thanh Binh, Head of the Traffic Police Team of Nghi Loc District Police, said that after the summer break, many students were unaware of the new regulations in the decree, so at the beginning of the new school year, there were many violations by students, causing difficulties for the police force in handling them.

Checking the blood alcohol levels of drivers.

According to many citizens, some provisions in Decree 46 are still too general and not specific enough. For example, the penalty for not using or not using enough headlights between 7 PM the previous day and 5 AM the following day, during fog or bad weather that restricts visibility; or using high-beam headlights when avoiding oncoming vehicles, etc., ranges from 600,000 to 800,000 VND.

But if it was already pitch dark at 5 PM and the driver didn't turn on their headlights, leading to an accident, would they still be fined? Furthermore, many people believe that the penalties for reckless driving, weaving in and out of traffic, and using one's feet to control a motorbike—offenses considered illegal racing that can have very serious consequences for society—are still too lenient.

Furthermore, as many people have suggested, penalties for helmet violations should be increased to enhance deterrence; stricter penalties should be imposed on repeat offenders.

Reporters' Team