Regulations on when car headlights should be on are causing controversy.

Besides opinions supporting the regulation that allows car headlights to be on from 7 PM to 5 AM the following morning, many people believe that this rule is rigid and impractical when applied in the North.

Decree 46 on administrative penalties in the field of road and rail transport, effective from August 1st, includes several amendments, among which is the regulation on the use of headlights. Accordingly, vehicles that do not use or do not use sufficient headlights between 7 PM the previous day and 5 AM the following day, or during fog or bad weather that restricts visibility, will be fined. The highest fine for violating car drivers is 800,000 VND, and for motorbike drivers it is 100,000 VND.

Agreeing with this regulation, Mr. Nguyen Manh Huan from Hoang Mai (Hanoi) explained that the period from 7 PM to 5 AM the next day is when it is mandatory to turn on vehicle lights. Depending on weather conditions such as fog or heavy rain with limited visibility, road users can turn them on before 7 PM or after 5 AM the next day.

"Clearly, the regulations state very clearly that during those hours, even if it's daylight, the lights must be on; failure to do so will result in a fine. Outside of those hours, turning them on or off is a citizen's right, and no fine can be imposed because the law doesn't specify," Huân further explained.

Nguyen Van Huy, a driver of a sleeper bus traveling from Bac Giang to Dak Lak, believes the regulation is not strict enough, impractical, and somewhat confusing. "In the North, there are four seasons in a year. In summer, it's still light at 7 PM, but in winter, it's already very dark by 5:30 PM. Therefore, a more flexible time frame is needed," Huy said.

Agreeing with Mr. Huy, Mr. Tran Van Giap, a taxi driver in Cau Giay (Hanoi), suggested that the policy should be based on reality and applied flexibly, similar to lighting companies. The car's headlights should only be turned on when the streetlights are on.

From the perspective of law enforcement, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Quy, Head of the Traffic Violation Handling Team No. 1 of the Hanoi Police, believes that although this regulation is more specific regarding time, it is not practical and somewhat rigid. "This time frame is reasonable in the South and during the summer in the North, but it will be problematic in the winter and spring in the North because night falls early and day comes very late," Lieutenant Colonel Quy emphasized.

Mr. Quy argued that the current traffic regulations, which are not reasonable, could hinder the investigation, examination, and resolution of accidents. He pointed out that people who cause accidents might blame it on not turning on their headlights early enough to spot oncoming vehicles. "The 6 PM to 6 AM timeframe seems more reasonable, and ideally, we should be flexible and consider regional factors. This would make it easier for people to understand and apply, and for law enforcement to avoid difficulties in issuing fines or investigating accidents," he said.

In winter, it gets dark by 5 PM, so vehicles have to turn on their headlights.

According to traffic expert Nguyen Xuan Thuy, rigid regulations on the timing of headlights should be avoided and should depend on the weather conditions in each area and on each road. In other countries, they also don't mandate specific times for turning on headlights; they base it on the weather. For example, in England, the land of fog, drivers can turn on their headlights both day and night.

Dr. Thuy raised the issue of how to turn on headlights on roads where it might get dark earlier or brighter earlier, and if they are not turned on and cause accidents, who will be responsible? "With such vague regulations and specific time slots, it will be very difficult to implement, especially in our country. The most important thing is to regulate that vehicles must have headlights, and those headlights must be usable. As for when and how they should be used, that should be more flexible, not restrictive," Dr. Thuy emphasized.

Since 2010, regulations on the use of streetlights have been amended three times. Decree 34/2010 on administrative penalties for violations in the field of road traffic clearly stipulates that the time for using streetlights at night is from 6 PM the previous day to 6 AM the following day.

Three years later, in the revised Decree 171/2013, the regulation specifying a time frame for using headlights at night was removed, and instead, it stated generally, "Do not use sufficient headlights when it is dark or foggy, or when bad weather restricts visibility; use high-beam headlights when avoiding oncoming vehicles."

Ba Do