Nearly 2 billion fine for 600 drivers who drank alcohol

After nearly 3 weeks of setting up checkpoints before Tet, Binh Dinh Traffic Police handled nearly 600 cases of driving with alcohol concentration exceeding the permitted level.

To ensure traffic order and safety during the 2016 Lunar New Year, Binh Dinh Traffic Police launched a peak patrol campaign, handling hundreds of car and motorbike drivers with alcohol levels exceeding the prescribed limit.

Major Ngo Duc Hoai - Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department (Binh Dinh Provincial Police) said that after nearly three weeks of setting up checkpoints on National Highways 1 and 19, the working groups discovered and fined nearly 600 cases of motorbike and car violations with a total fine of nearly 2 billion VND. Of these, 140 car and truck drivers had alcohol levels exceeding the permitted level.

Binh Dinh traffic police measure alcohol concentration of car drivers on National Highway 1 through Ngo May town, Phu Cat district (Binh Dinh). Photo: Minh Hoang.

According to Mr. Hoai, when police asked many cars to stop for alcohol testing, they did not comply and even argued with the police, claiming they had only had a few drinks.

"Breathing tests showed that the drivers had alcohol levels many times higher than the permitted limit. During the days leading up to Tet, the number of people and vehicles on the roads is high, so drivers who drink alcohol can easily cause traffic accidents," said Mr. Hoai.

Previously, on February 5, Quy Nhon City Police (Binh Dinh) detained driver Nguyen Phi Dung (31 years old, residing in Gia Lai) for violating traffic regulations causing serious consequences.

Binh Dinh traffic police fined many car and truck drivers with alcohol levels exceeding the permitted limit. Photo: Minh Hoang.

Mr. Dung was driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit, driving a container truck at high speed through a crowded residential area, hitting and killing someone, and then fleeing. After fleeing the scene for 20 km, the driver was surrounded and arrested by the police while driving on Highway 19 towards the Central Highlands.

According to regulations, car drivers with alcohol levels 3 times higher than the permitted level will have their driving licenses revoked for 2 months and be fined 12.5 million VND; those with 2 times higher will have their driving licenses revoked for 1 month and be fined 7.5 million VND. Motorcyclists who violate the law will be fined from 750,000 to 2.5 million VND. The violators' vehicles will be impounded for 7 days.

According to Zing.vn