Traffic police will immediately detain cars for violations, drivers need to know

Many drivers today still think that traffic violations only result in fines or license revocation by traffic police. However, in addition to administrative penalties, drivers can also have their vehicles temporarily impounded or even permanently confiscated to immediately prevent violations that pose a high risk of leading to traffic accidents.

There are many violations that result in vehicle impoundment. Illustrative photo: Traffic Police

According to Article 82 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP (amended and supplemented by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP) on administrative sanctions in the field of road and railway traffic, violators will have their vehicles detained for up to 07 days before a decision on sanction is issued (according to Article 125 of the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations) for the following violations:

- Driving a car with any level of alcohol in the blood or breath or failing to comply with the request of an officer on duty to test for alcohol;

- Driving a vehicle on the road while having drugs in the body or not complying with the request of a law enforcement officer to take a drug test;

- Going against traffic, reversing on the highway;

- Driving a car without a license plate or with a license plate that does not match the vehicle registration or with a license plate not issued by a competent authority;

- Driving a temporarily registered vehicle or a vehicle with limited operating range beyond the permitted range or time limit;

- Driving a vehicle that is past its expiration date (for vehicles with regulations on expiration date);

- Driving a vehicle without a vehicle registration certificate as prescribed or using an expired vehicle registration certificate (including trailers and semi-trailers);

- Using vehicle registration certificate, certificate, technical safety and environmental protection inspection stamp not issued by a competent authority or erased; using vehicle registration certificate with incorrect chassis number or engine number of the vehicle (including trailers and semi-trailers);

- Driving a vehicle without a Certificate or stamp of technical safety and environmental protection inspection (for vehicles that are required to be inspected, except for temporarily registered vehicles) or having one that has expired for 01 month or more.

- The vehicle does not have a sufficient braking system or has a sufficient braking system but it is not effective and does not meet technical safety standards;

- Attaching a license plate that does not match the vehicle registration or is not issued by a competent authority.

Violations such as driving with alcohol in the blood or breath; driving in the wrong direction, reversing on the highway; having a vehicle registration that is 1 month expired, etc. will result in the vehicle being impounded. Photo: Traffic Police

In addition, for some of the above violations, if the vehicle's origin cannot be proven, it will be confiscated by the authorities.

Specifically, at point d, clause 6, Article 16 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP stipulates:"In case of not having a Vehicle Registration Certificate or using a Vehicle Registration Certificate not issued by a competent authority, not having the correct chassis number or engine number of the vehicle or being erased without being able to prove the origin of the vehicle (no documents, certificates of vehicle ownership transfer or documents, certificates of legal vehicle origin), the vehicle will be confiscated".