Regulations on vehicle light turning time cause controversy

Besides opinions supporting the time to turn on car lights from 7pm to 5am the next morning, many people think that this regulation is rigid and impractical when applied in the North.

Decree 46 on administrative sanctions in the field of road and railway traffic, effective from August 1, has many amendments, including regulations on the time of using headlights. Accordingly, vehicles that do not use or do not use enough headlights from 7 p.m. the previous day to 5 a.m. the following day, when fog or bad weather limits visibility, will be fined. The highest fine for car drivers is 800,000 VND, and for motorbike drivers is 100,000 VND.

Agreeing with this regulation, Mr. Nguyen Manh Huan in Hoang Mai (Hanoi) analyzed that from 7pm to 5am the next day is the time period when vehicle lights must be turned on. Depending on weather conditions such as fog, heavy rain with limited visibility, traffic participants can turn them on before 7pm or after 5am the next day.

"The regulation clearly states that during that time frame, even if it's bright outside, you still have to turn it on. If you don't turn it on, you'll be fined. Outside of that time frame, turning it on or off is a citizen's right. You can't be fined because the law doesn't say so," Mr. Huan further analyzed.

As a sleeper bus driver from Bac Giang to Dak Lak, Nguyen Van Huy said that the above regulation is not strict, unrealistic and somewhat confusing. "In the North, there are four seasons a year. In the summer, it is still bright at 7 p.m., but in the winter, it is very dark at 5:30 p.m. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate a more flexible time frame," said Huy.

Agreeing with Mr. Huy, Mr. Tran Van Giap, a taxi driver in Cau Giay (Hanoi), said that we should base on reality and be flexible like the lighting companies to apply. When the street lights are on, then turn on the car lights.

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

Mr. Quy said that the unreasonable time frame regulation could hinder the investigation, examination and settlement of accidents. Because when people cause accidents, they can blame it on not turning on the lights early, so they do not detect the oncoming vehicle. "The 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. time frame seems more reasonable and it is best to flexibly incorporate regional factors, so that people will easily understand and apply it and law enforcement officers will not have difficulty in fining or investigating accidents," he said.

In winter, it is dark at 5pm so vehicles have to turn on their lights.

According to traffic expert Nguyen Xuan Thuy, there should not be such a rigid time regulation but it should depend on the weather of each area and each route. In foreign countries, they also do not regulate a specific time to turn on the lights but based on the weather. For example, in England, the land of fog, traffic participants can turn on the lights both day and night.

Dr. Thuy raised the issue, many roads may be dark earlier or in the morning, so how should the lights be turned on and if they are not turned on, causing an accident, who is responsible? "With the above loose regulations and specific hours, it will be very difficult to implement, especially in our country. The most important thing is to regulate that vehicles must have lights and that the lights must be usable. As for when and how to use them, it needs to be expanded and not restricted," Mr. Thuy emphasized.

Since 2010, regulations on the use of lighting 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 lighting at night is from 6:00 p.m. the previous day to 6:00 a.m. the following day.

Three years later, the revised Decree 171/2013 removed the regulation on the time frame for using lights at night and only stated generally, "Do not use enough lights when it is dark or when foggy, bad weather limits visibility; use high beams when avoiding oncoming vehicles."

Ba Do