Driver 'plays' with steering wheel, posts clip for views and the price to pay

On March 24, a nearly 1-minute clip appeared on social media, recording a scene where a man handed the steering wheel to his young daughter. The girl sat in the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel with both hands, the dashboard showing a speed of 50-60km/h.

Through verification, the person who gave the car to the child to drive was Dao Van N. (born in 1994, residing in Binh Xuyen, Vinh Phuc). A representative of the Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) said that they had directed the Traffic Police Department of Vinh Phuc Province to draw up a record to fine Mr. N.

Talking to VietNamNet about the above situation, Doctor, Lawyer Dang Van Cuong said that the man's behavior was very dangerous, showing contempt for the law, and could result in a fine of up to 30 million VND.

According to the lawyer, giving the steering wheel to his young daughter is a violation of the law, a violation of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety when allowing an unqualified person to drive a vehicle. Therefore, this man will have to bear legal responsibility.

In cases where serious consequences have not yet occurred, the act of handing over a vehicle to an unqualified person will be subject to administrative penalties according to Decree 168. If the act adversely affects security, order, and social safety or causes a serious traffic accident, the perpetrator will be prosecuted.

Dr. Dang Van Cuong said that the above behavior is very reprehensible, can have negative psychological impacts on children, and has a high potential risk of causing traffic accidents, so punishment is necessary. If the case of intentionally making a clip to attract views, posting it on social networks, causing negative impacts on security, order, and social safety, it can be prosecuted for the crime of "Disturbing public order".

Lawyers say that in some countries, such acts can be punished with imprisonment or criminal sanctions. In Vietnam, they are currently only punished with administrative sanctions, and only if they are determined to be disturbing public order or causing an accident will they be punished criminally.

Traffic violations, posting clips to attract views

On January 27, the Department of Road and Railway Traffic Patrol and Control (Traffic Police Department) and Thai Binh Provincial Police issued a fine to Mr. LNL (born in 1981, residing in Vu Thu, Thai Binh). This person posted a clip recording the scene of letting his 12-year-old son drive a car with license plate 30K-792.XX.

Verification results showed that the clip was filmed by Mr. L. while being rescued by another vehicle, but he was still disciplined for posting false information, causing public confusion.

In October 2023, despite not having a Class A2 Driver's License, Tran Thi Ngoc Trinh (model Ngoc Trinh) and her driving instructor organized and performed acts of driving a large-displacement motorbike with dangerous and offensive movements such as lying down, kneeling on the saddle, letting go of both hands to let the motorbike run on its own... performing on the road, negatively affecting the security and order situation in the locality.

Ngoc Trinh then organized filming, re-editing and posting the clips on social media accounts with a large number of followers, causing negative impacts and adversely affecting security and order in cyberspace. On the morning of February 2, 2024, Tran Thi Ngoc Trinh received a 1-year suspended sentence.

According to lawyer Dang Van Cuong, with the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017, currently applied, the act of disturbing public order is expanded in a discretionary manner for the prosecuting agency to apply criminal sanctions, so "serious consequences" are no longer stipulated with quantitative numbers as in the old law and the previous guidance of the Council of Judges.

Only acts that are determined to have "negative impacts on social security, order, and safety" can be criminally prosecuted. Whether or not acts that disrupt public order have negative impacts on social security, order, and safety is a qualitative consequence and is assessed by the prosecuting agency.

Therefore, the above cases are lessons for those who intend to "play" with the steering wheel, let unqualified people hold the wheel and post clips recording illegal acts to attract views.