How is the order of priority vehicles determined?

Reply:

Article 27 of the 2024 Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety stipulates:

1. Priority vehicles include fire trucks of the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police and fire trucks of other forces mobilized for fire fighting duties; vehicles of military, police and prosecutorial forces on urgent missions; convoys led by traffic police vehicles; ambulances on emergency missions; dyke protection vehicles on missions; vehicles on rescue missions, disaster relief, and response to natural disasters and epidemics, or vehicles on missions in emergency situations as prescribed by law; funeral processions.

2. Priority vehicles have the right of way before other vehicles when crossing an intersection from any direction in the following order of priority from top to bottom:

a) Fire trucks of the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police and fire trucks of other forces are mobilized to perform fire fighting tasks;

b) Vehicles of military, police, and prosecutors on urgent missions; convoys led by traffic police vehicles;

c) Ambulance on emergency duty;

d) Dike protection vehicles on duty; vehicles on duty for rescue, relief, and overcoming natural disasters, epidemics, or vehicles on duty in emergency situations as prescribed by law;

d) Funeral procession.

3. Priority vehicles specified in points a, b, c and d, Clause 2 of this Article must have priority signals as prescribed by law. The color of priority light signals is specified as follows:

a) Fire trucks of the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police and fire trucks of other forces mobilized for fire fighting duties, vehicles of military forces on emergency duty, ambulances on emergency duty with red flashing lights;

b) Police and prosecutor vehicles on emergency duty, and traffic police vehicles leading the way have flashing blue and red lights;

c) Dike protection vehicles on duty; vehicles on duty to rescue, respond to natural disasters, epidemics or vehicles on duty in emergency situations as prescribed by law have blue flashing lights.

4. Priority vehicles specified in points a, b, c and d, Clause 2 of this Article are not subject to speed restrictions; are allowed to travel regardless of traffic lights, enter the opposite direction, and other roads that are passable; for expressways, they are only allowed to travel in the opposite direction on the emergency lane; must obey the commands of traffic controllers and temporary signs.

5. When there is a signal from a priority vehicle, people and vehicles participating in road traffic must reduce speed, move close to the right curb or stop to give way. The toll station must give priority to priority vehicles in all situations and must not cause obstruction.

6. The Government shall prescribe the management, installation and use of priority vehicle signaling devices and the procedures for granting, re-granting and revoking licenses to use priority vehicle signaling devices.

7. The Minister of Public Security shall prescribe that domestic delegations and foreign guests coming to Vietnam must arrange for traffic police vehicles to lead the way; and prescribe the procedure for traffic police to guide domestic delegations and foreign guests coming to Vietnam.