Record-breaking 770,000 cases of alcohol violations in 2023

Nguyen Quang Nhat, head of the Division of Guidance on Propaganda, Investigation and Resolution of Traffic Accidents at the Department of Traffic Police, said on Saturday that over 3.4 million cases of traffic violations have been recorded this year, leading to a total of VND6.5 trillion ($267.82 million) in fines, 664,000 license suspensions, and a million vehicles seized.

The number of alcohol-related violations hit an all-time high in particular, with over 770,000 cases handled by authorities this year, an increase of 460,000 cases from 2022. Most of the violators were motorbike riders.

"The number of traffic accidents has decreased by 9%, while the number of deaths and injured people dropped by 26% compared to 2022," Nhat said.

This year, the Ministry of Public Security has launched several campaigns in which local police forces were dispatched to maintain traffic safety. In the latest effort, from Aug. 30 to Oct. 15, police forces nationwide performed random checks on passenger vehicles and container trucks.

Within the month-and-a-half campaign, over 6,100 alcohol-related violations were recorded, with over 230 violators being officials, government employees and journalists.

Besides administrative measures, authorities have also launched criminal investigations into eight cases that include a total of nine violators charged with resisting law enforcement and/or "storing drugs."

Next year, the traffic police department will look into better measures to deal with alcohol-related violations in order to launch solutions that better ensure people who have consumed alcohol do not drive in traffic, Nhat said.