New regulations on age limits for operating cars in Vietnam effective from January 01, 2025

Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 issued by the National Assembly of Vietnam, comes into force from January 1, 2025. Among the notable highlights of this Law is the new regulation on the age limit for automobile drivers in Vietnam.

1. New regulations on age limits for operating cars in Vietnam effective from January 01, 2025

According to Article 59 of the Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024, the age for drivers operating road vehicles in Vietnam is as follows:

- Age of drivers, operators of specialized machines:

+ Persons aged 16 and older are allowed to drive motorcycles;

+ Persons aged 18 and older are granted driver's licenses for categories A1, A, B1, B, C1, and are issued certificates of legal knowledge training for operating specialized machines on the road;

+ Persons aged 21 and older are granted driver's licenses for category C, BE;

+ Persons aged 24 and older are granted driver's licenses for category D1, D2, C1E, CE;

+ Persons aged 27 and older are granted driver's licenses for category D, D1E, D2E, DE;

+ The maximum age for drivers of passenger cars with more than 29 seats (excluding the driver's seat) and sleeper buses is 57 years for men and 55 years for women.

- Operators of road vehicles must ensure they meet health conditions suitable for each type of vehicle they are permitted to drive. The Minister of Health of Vietnam sets the health standards, medical examination procedures for drivers, operators of specialized machines, periodic health examinations for professional drivers, and the development of a health database for drivers and operators of specialized machines.

- The Ministers of National Defense and Public Security of Vietnam specify the age limits for drivers within the military and police forces performing national defense and security tasks.

Meanwhile, under the current regulations, the maximum age for drivers of passenger vehicles with more than 30 seats is 50 years for women and 55 years for men (point a, clause 1, Article 60 of the Road Traffic Law 2008).

Thus, according to the new regulations, from 2025, there will be changes in the maximum age limits for driving in Vietnam. The maximum age for drivers of passenger cars with more than 29 seats (excluding the driver's seat) and sleeper buses will be 57 years for men and 55 years for women.

2. From 2025, an additional 04 cases where overtaking is prohibited in vietnam

According to the current provisions in clause 5, Article 14 of the Road Traffic Law 2008, there are 06 cases where overtaking is prohibited. However, from 2025, the Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 supplements an additional 04 cases where overtaking is prohibited.

To be specific, clause 6, Article 14 of the Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 lists 10 cases where overtaking is prohibited, including:

(1) When conditions specified in clause 3 of this Article are not met;

(2) On narrow bridges with a single lane;

(3) On curves with restricted visibility;

(4) On two-way roads at the crest of slopes with restricted visibility;

(5) At intersections, railway level crossings;

(6) When weather conditions or road conditions do not ensure safety for overtaking;

(7) When facing priority vehicles;

(8) In pedestrian crossings;

(9) When there are pedestrians or wheelchairs of disabled persons crossing the road;

(10) In tunnels.

Thus, the Road Traffic Safety and Order Law 2024 has supplemented an additional 04 cases where overtaking is prohibited, namely: on two-way roads at the crest of slopes with restricted visibility; in pedestrian crossings; when there are pedestrians or wheelchairs of disabled persons crossing the road; and in tunnels.

Sincerely!

Please Login to be able to download