Vietnam Cracks Down on Tailgating: 11 Drivers Fined for Violating Safe Distance on Highways During Holiday

During Vietnam's five-day National Day holiday, 11 drivers were penalized for failing to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead on expressways. This incident underscores the ongoing need for enhanced road safety awareness, particularly on highways. According to the Traffic Police Department (Cục CSGT, Ministry of Public Security), traffic nationwide during the National Day holiday saw a positive shift, with a significant decrease in traffic accidents across all three criteria (road, rail, and water), and no accidents on rail or waterways. Specifically, 192 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, resulting in 93 fatalities and 134 injuries. This represents a 26.15% reduction in accidents, a 36.73% decrease in deaths, and a 16.25% drop in injuries compared to the same period in 2025. On September 2nd alone, the final day of the holiday, the number of traffic accident deaths plummeted by 63.89% to 13. To ensure smooth and safe traffic flow, traffic police nationwide maximized personnel deployment, combining direct patrols with technological monitoring systems. Through these efforts, police identified and processed over 97,600 violations, temporarily impounded more than 15,000 vehicles, revoked over 1,500 driving licenses, and deducted points from over 9,300 licenses. On road networks alone, over 76,800 cases were handled, with speeding and drunk driving being the most common offenses, accounting for nearly 30,000 cases. On expressways, traffic patrol teams inspected nearly 9,000 vehicles, issued over 700 violation reports, and sent over 3,300 "cold fines" (nguội) notifications. The specific offense of failing to maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle, a primary cause of chain-reaction accidents on expressways, led to the penalization of 11 cases on the Pháp Vân - Cao Bồ - Mai Sơn - quốc lộ 45 - Nghi Sơn route. These included 8 passenger buses, 2 cars, and 1 truck. The 11 drivers had their vehicles temporarily seized and their driving licenses demerited. Since the enforcement of penalties for this offense began on August 27th, over 20 drivers have been fined for this violation. As Vietnam's economy grows, vehicle ownership continues to rise, making the strict enforcement of safe driving practices, especially on expressways, a critical issue for protecting citizens' lives and property. These recent crackdowns demonstrate the traffic authorities' commitment to ensuring road safety.