In Ho Chi Minh City, motorbikes are going back onto the sidewalks

As a resident of Ho Chi Minh City, I've noticed some positive changes in people's traffic awareness in the six months since Decree 168 took effect.

Initially, when the decree was introduced with much bigger fines, people seemed more cautious: stopping properly at red lights and refraining from climbing onto sidewalks or jostling through traffic.

However, just a few months later, old habits have resurfaced.

Heavy traffic on Truong Chinh Street in Ho Chi Minh City, Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Every day on routes such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Truong Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Vo Thi Sau, and Nguyen Tat Thanh, I witness motorcycles traveling in the wrong direction, riders mounting sidewalks, and even using their phones while driving. Despite penalties being enforced, it is clear that many still lack genuine awareness or simply are not afraid of consequences. People seem to believe that "if I'm not caught, it's fine."

Decree 168 imposes heavy penalties and deduction of points from the driver's license (losing all 12 points would mean one needs to retake the driving test), but violations persist.

Statistics reveal that within just six months, traffic police have recorded over 85,000 cases of alcohol-related offenses, nearly 41,000 speeding incidents, and thousands of cases of wrong-lane driving, red-light running, and driving against traffic. These numbers indicate that fines alone have not sufficiently changed behaviors in a sustainable way.

Local authorities and relevant agencies must enhance inspection and supervision on the ground, ensuring rules are not merely theoretical. If possible, fines for dangerous behaviors should be doubled, since such violations endanger not only the violators themselves but also bystanders.

Many tragic accidents begin with seemingly minor infractions: speeding, running red lights, or drunk driving. If everyone could adhere to basic traffic rules, the situation in Ho Chi Minh City and nationwide would vastly improve.

We should not obey traffic rules solely out of fear of fines, but out of respect for life and the safety of our community.