What should pedestrians pay attention to when participating in traffic in Vietnam? In what cases are pedestrians penalized by traffic police?
What should pedestrians pay attention to when participating in traffic in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Article 32 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam, pedestrians need to pay attention to the following rules when participating in traffic:
- Pedestrians shall use pavements or verges; where pavements and verges are not available, they shall walk close to the edge of a road.
- Pedestrians may cross a road at places where there are light signals, road markings or flyovers or tunnels reserved for pedestrians, and shall comply with the instructions given by such lights.
- At places where light signals, road markings, flyovers or tunnels reserved for pedestrians are not available, pedestrians, before crossing a road, shall watch approaching vehicles, may cross the road when it is safe and shall take responsibility to ensure safe crossing.
- Pedestrians may not walk over the median strip and cling to moving vehicles; if carrying bulky objects, they shall ensure safety and no obstruction to road users and vehicles in traffic.
- Children under 7 years, when crossing an urban street or a road with regular vehicular traffic, must be led by adults; everyone has the duty to help children under 7 years cross roads.
In addition, according to Article 33 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam, disabled and elderly persons participating in traffic must ensure the following rules:
- Disabled persons traveling in wheel chairs propelled by themselves may travel on pavements and marked pedestrian crossings.
- Visually handicapped persons, when traveling on roads, must be led by other persons or have a device to signal other persons that they are visually handicapped.
Pursuant to Article 34 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam, persons guiding animals on roads to join traffic must ensure the following rules:
- Persons guiding animals on roads shall keep them close to the edge of the carriageway and ensure road sanitation; if they need to lead the animals to cross a road, they shall watch out traffic and may only guide them cross the road when it is safe.
- It is forbidden to guide animals go on road sections reserved for motor vehicles.
What should pedestrians pay attention to when participating in traffic in Vietnam? In what cases are pedestrians are penalized by traffic police? (Image from the Internet)
In what cases are pedestrians in Vietnam penalized by traffic police?
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 9 of Decree No. 100/2019/ND-CP stipulating as follows:
Penalties imposed upon pedestrians violating traffic rules
1. A fine ranging from VND 60,000 to VND 100,000 shall be imposed upon a pedestrian who commits any of the following violations:
a) Failure to stay on designated section of the road; crossing the median strip; crossing the street unsafely or at inappropriate positions;
b) Failure to comply with traffic light, traffic signs and road markings, except for violations specified in Clause 2 of this Article;
c) Failure to obey the orders or instructions of the traffic conductor or traffic guard;
d) Carrying bulky objects in a manner that obstructs the traffic;
dd) Hanging from a moving vehicle.
2. A fine ranging from VND 100,000 to VND 200,000 shall be imposed upon a pedestrian that walks on a freeway, except for the persons in charge of management and maintenance of the freeway.
Thus, pedestrians are penalized by traffic police in the following cases:
- Failure to stay on designated section of the road; crossing the median strip; crossing the street unsafely or at inappropriate positions;
- Failure to comply with traffic light, traffic signs and road markings;
- Failure to obey the orders or instructions of the traffic conductor or traffic guard;
- Carrying bulky objects in a manner that obstructs the traffic;
- Hanging from a moving vehicle.
- Walking on a freeway, except for the persons in charge of management and maintenance of the freeway.
Should motorcyclists always give way to pedestrians in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Clause 4, Article 11 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam; Clause 2, Article 15 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam; Clause 4, Article 15 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam; Clause 2, Article 16 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam; Point b, Clause 3, Article 30 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic in Vietnam as follows:
Compliance with road signals
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4. At pedestrian crossings, operators shall observe, slow down and give way to pedestrians and wheelchairs of the disabled to cross the road.
At places where there is no pedestrian crossing, operators shall observe and, if seeing a pedestrian or a wheelchair of a disabled crossing the road, slow down and give way to the pedestrian or the wheelchair of the disabled to safely cross the road.
Change of direction
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2. While changing direction, the driver or operator of a special-use vehicle shall allow pedestrians and bicycle riders moving on the road sections reserved for them to pass, give way to oncoming vehicles and shall change direction only when seeing that his/her vehicle does not obstruct or endanger people and other vehicles.
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4. It is prohibited to make U-turns at road sections reserved for pedestrians to cross, on bridges, at bridge heads, under flyovers, at undergrounds, in road tunnels, on expressways, at level crossings between a road and a railroad track, on narrow roads, steep roads or on bends with insufficient visibility.
Reversing
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2. It is forbidden to reverse in areas where reversing is prohibited, on road sections reserved for pedestrians to cross, at intersections or level crossings between a road and a railroad track, at places with insufficient visibility, in road tunnels or on expressways.
Operators of and passengers on motorcycles and mopeds
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3. Operators of motorcycles, three-wheeled motor vehicles or mopeds are prohibited from:
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b/ Traveling in road sections reserved for pedestrians and other vehicles;
Thus, in principle, pedestrians are receiving certain priority when traveling on the road. According to that, vehicles such as motorbikes and cars when participating in traffic need to comply with the provisions of the above law on giving way to pedestrians.
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