"Drunk Driving Penalties Are Excessive and Strict"... Vietnam Pushes for Significant Reduction in Fines

Under Current Law, Any Alcohol Detection Is Considered Drunk Driving
Even the National Assembly Says "Too Strict Regulations Have Negative Effects"

A proposal has emerged in Vietnam to drastically reduce the fines for drunk driving to about one-eighth of the current level, arguing that the existing penalties are excessively high. This suggestion came from the police authorities, not from alcohol companies.

On the 8th (local time), Vietnamese media such as VN Express reported that the Ministry of Public Security recently proposed lowering the fines for drivers whose blood alcohol concentration is below 50 mg per 100 ml of blood or whose breath alcohol concentration does not exceed 0.25 mg/l.

In Vietnam, any detection of alcohol is considered drunk driving regardless of the alcohol concentration. According to current regulations, drivers of cars caught driving under the influence face fines ranging from 6 million to 8 million VND (approximately 320,000 to 430,000 KRW). The main proposal is to reduce this to 800,000 to 1 million VND (approximately 40,000 to 50,000 KRW).

For motorcycles, the current fines of 2 million to 3 million VND (approximately 110,000 to 160,000 KRW) would be reduced to about one-fifth, between 400,000 and 600,000 VND (approximately 20,000 to 30,000 KRW).

Road Scenery in Vietnam

The Ministry of Public Security is currently gathering opinions on a draft decree to implement the Road Traffic Safety and Order Law that includes these changes.

This would represent a reduction of up to 90% compared to the current fines. However, if the blood alcohol concentration exceeds 50 to 80 mg per 100 ml or the breath alcohol concentration exceeds 0.4 mg/l, the existing fines will be maintained.

The specific reasons for the Ministry of Public Security’s proposal to reduce fines have not been disclosed. However, at the National Assembly’s Defense and Security Committee meeting at the end of last year, concerns were raised that the drunk driving standards are excessively strict, stating that “the current law is negatively affecting the alcohol industry as well as the income of irregular workers.”

At that time, Assemblyman Nguyen Quang Huan said, “In Finland, it is recommended to wait one hour after drinking one bottle of beer and three hours after two bottles before driving,” adding, “This level of alcohol is sufficiently safe for driving.”

Last year, there were also calls within the National Assembly to relax the regulations, arguing that the current law does not take Vietnamese culture into account.

The proposed blood alcohol concentration limit of 50 mg per 100 ml corresponds on average to an adult male drinking two glasses of beer or two glasses of wine. According to Korean standards, this corresponds to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%.