In Vietnam, is there a penalty for cars passing red lights to give way to an ambulance?
In Vietnam, is there a penalty for cars passing red lights to give way to an ambulance? What are the penalties for passing a red light in Vietnam?
I was on my way to work by car and. When I stopped at a red light, an ambulance came and I had to pass the red light to give way to it. However, the traffic police came and decided to penalize me for passing a red light. When can I pass a red light without being fined? What are the penalties for passing a red light?
In Vietnam, is there a penalty for cars passing red lights to give way to an ambulance?
Pursuant to Article 11 of the Law on Handling Administrative Violations in 2012 stipulating cases not being administratively sanctioned in Vietnam as follows:
These following cases shall not be administratively sanctioned:
1. Commit acts of administrative violations in emergency circumstances;
2. Commit acts of administrative violations due to legitimate defense;
3. Commit acts of administrative violations due to unexpected events;
4. Commit acts of administrative violations due to force majeure;
5. The violators do not have administrative liability capacity; the violators commit administrative violations when are not sufficient age to be administratively sanctioned as regulated in point a, clause 1, Article 5 of this Law.
As regulations above, you shall not be sanctioned because you passed the red light to give way to an ambulance, which was a force majeure event.
What are the penalties for passing a red light in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Clause 5, Article 5 of the Decree 100/2019/ND-CP (amended by Clause 34, Article 2 of the Decree 123/2021/ND-CP) stipulating penalties imposed upon operators of cars and car-like vehicles violating traffic rules in Vietnam as follows:
5. A fine ranging from VND 4,000,000 to VND 6,000,000 shall be imposed upon a vehicle operator who commits any of the following violations:
a) Failure to comply with the traffic lights;
b) Failure to obey the orders or instructions of the traffic conductor or traffic guard;
c) Entering a blocked road or restricted area; going against traffic direction of a one-way road or a road where a “Cấm đi ngược chiều” (No entry) sign is erected, except for the violations specified in Point a Clause 8 of this Article and emergency vehicles on duty;
d) Overtaking in cases where overtaking is not permitted, overtaking in roads erected with signs prohibiting operated vehicles from overtaking; failure to signal before overtake; overtaking on the right of other vehicles in case not allowed to, except cases in which roads with multiple lanes with same direction of motion separated by road markings where vehicles on lanes on the right are faster than vehicles on lanes on the left;
dd) Failure to keep the vehicle to the right; going in the wrong lane (along or against traffic direction) except for cases specified in Point c Clause 4 of this Article; crossing the median strip; going on a sidewalk unless for entering a house;
e) Avoiding oncoming traffic against regulations and law, except for violations of using high beam when avoiding oncoming traffic specified in Point g Clause 3 of this Article; failure to yield to oncoming traffic as per the law in narrow or steep sections or in case of obstacles;
g) Failure to obey the rules when entering or leaving the freeway; going in the emergency lane or on the shoulder of the freeway; changing lanes on a freeway at inappropriate positions or without signals; failure to keep a safe following distance on the freeway;
h) Failure to yield to or obstructing emergency vehicles on duty that are sending out emergency signals;
i) Exceeding the speed limits by 10 km/h - 20 km/h.
As regulations above, car operators shall be fined from VND 4,000,000 to VND 6,000,000 for passing red lights.
Best regards!
