Cars not equipped with fire protection equipment will be fined up to 5,000,000 VND

According to Circular 57 of the Ministry of Public Security, from today (January 6, 2016), fines of up to VND500,000 will be imposed on cars with 4 seats or more that are not equipped with fire prevention equipment.

Major General Doan Viet Manh - Director of the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department.

Regarding this issue, Major General Doan Viet Manh, Director of the Department of Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue (PCCC&CNCH), Ministry of Public Security, said: According to statistics of the Department of Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue, in the past 2 years, there have been many road motor vehicle fires across the country.

Specifically: In 2014, there were 112 cases of car fires, in 2015, there were 123 cases of car fires, out of a total of more than 2.6 million cars currently in circulation in Vietnam. Vehicle fires cause a lot of property damage to vehicle owners, agencies and businesses using the vehicles and especially cause panic among people and passengers in the vehicles.

According to survey data, most road motor vehicles are not equipped with necessary fire fighting equipment when a fire occurs. Circular 57 of the Ministry of Public Security aims to provide specific guidance on equipping fire fighting equipment for road motor vehicles, which is clearly stipulated in Article 18 of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting, Article 10 of Decree 79/2014 of the Government.

Major General Doan Viet Manh emphasized: Circular No. 57/2015 of the Ministry of Public Security takes effect from January 6, 2016. Therefore, from this point on, road motor vehicles that have been equipped with fire prevention and fighting equipment equal to or higher than the regulations in Circular 57 before the effective date of this Circular will continue to be used until the expiration date. In case they have not been equipped or are equipped with equipment lower than the regulations in Circular 57, this Circular shall apply.

From today (January 6), the Fire Police force will coordinate with the Traffic Police force to conduct inspections and remind people to equip fire prevention and fighting equipment according to the regulations of the circular and will handle violations according to the regulations of Decree 167/2013 of the Government.

Major General Doan Viet Manh also stated: “The arrangement of fire extinguishers on the vehicle must be in a visible and easy-to-reach place. Specifically, they must be placed near the driver's position and not affect driving operations. Fire extinguishers are very compact portable extinguishers so they can be placed in the car door recess, under the seat or behind the seat. Note that fire extinguishers should not be placed in the trunk or under the car. In case the fire extinguisher is not placed in the cabin but is placed outside, there must be a solution to cover it from the sun and rain to ensure the life of the fire extinguisher.

Major General Doan Viet Manh emphasized: Failure to equip fire-fighting equipment for cars with 4 seats or more as prescribed in this Circular will be administratively handled according to the provisions of Decree No. 167/2013. Specifically: A fine of 300,000 to 500,000 VND will be imposed for failure to equip common fire-fighting equipment for motor vehicles (specifically cars with 4 seats or more, etc.). A fine of 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND will be imposed for failure to equip common fire-fighting equipment for motor vehicles transporting flammable and explosive substances and goods as prescribed”./.

According to VOV