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A group of car and motorbike drivers accidentally run a red light at a Ho Chi Minh City intersection when green light lasts only three seconds. Video by Dang Khoa
Traffic situation:
Dashcam footage captured on the afternoon of Oct. 31 from a car waiting at a red light in Dien Hong Ward shows the signal turning green before quickly switching back to red after only about three seconds.
The abrupt change surprised the driver and several motorcyclists, causing them to unintentionally run the red light.
Traffic laws:
According to Vietnam’s traffic laws, running a yellow or red light carries a fine of VND4–6 million (US$152–228) for motorbikes and VND18–20 million for cars, along with a deduction of four points from the driver’s license.
In Vietnam, drivers start with 12 points on their license. Losing all 12 points results in a suspension from operating any vehicle and requires a waiting period of at least six months before retaking a road safety and legal knowledge test to regain points.
Under the Ministry of Transport’s new National Technical Regulation on Road Signs, which took effect on Jan. 1, the minimum duration of a green light for any traffic flow must be at least 15 seconds. The signal in this case therefore did not meet the required minimum time.
If fines are later issued based on traffic camera footage in this case, drivers may submit dashcam recordings to clarify the situation. In the absence of such footage, they can request to review full recordings from traffic surveillance cameras to confirm whether the signal timing was correct.
