New regulations for pedestrians in Vietnam from January 1, 2025

New regulations for pedestrians in Vietnam from January 1, 2025 (Image from the internet)

From January 1, 2025, cases where pedestrians must signal with their hand when crossing the road in Vietnam

To be specific, according to Clause 1 Article 30 of the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order 2024:

Pedestrians must comply with the following regulations:

- Must walk on sidewalks, road shoulders, or lanes designated for pedestrians; in the absence of sidewalks, road shoulders, or lanes designated for pedestrians, pedestrians must walk close to the right edge of the road in the direction they are going;

- May only cross the road at places with traffic signals, crosswalk markings, pedestrian overpasses, or underpasses and must comply with road signals and markers. In the absence of traffic signals, crosswalk markings, pedestrian overpasses, or underpasses, they must observe oncoming traffic and only cross when it is safe, and must signal with their hand when crossing the road;

- Are not allowed to climb over dividers, hang on to moving road vehicles; when carrying bulky items, safety must be ensured, and obstacles to people and vehicles participating in road traffic must not be created.

Therefore, among the regulations that pedestrians must adhere to when walking on the road, a notable requirement is that in the absence of traffic signals, crosswalk markings, pedestrian overpasses, or underpasses, they must observe oncoming vehicles and only cross when it is safe, and must signal with their hand when crossing the road*.*

Currently, Article 32 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law (applicable until December 31, 2024) regulates the road traffic participation rules for pedestrians as follows:

- Pedestrians must walk on sidewalks, road shoulders; in the absence of sidewalks, road shoulders, pedestrians must walk close to the edge of the road.

- Pedestrians may only cross the road at places with traffic signals, crosswalk markings, pedestrian overpasses, or underpasses and must comply with traffic signals.

- In the absence of traffic signals, crosswalk markings, pedestrian overpasses, or underpasses, pedestrians must observe oncoming traffic and only cross when it is safe and are responsible for ensuring safety when crossing the road.

- Pedestrians are not allowed to climb over dividers, not hang on to moving vehicles; when carrying bulky items, safety must be ensured, and obstacles to people and vehicles participating in road traffic must not be created.

- Children under 7 years old crossing urban roads, roads with frequent motor vehicle traffic must be accompanied by an adult; everyone has the responsibility to assist children under 7 years old when crossing the road.

Regulations for person guiding or driving animals, or operating animal-drawn cart on the road in Vietnam

- Persons controlling, leading animals, or driving animal-drawn vehicles on the road must ensure that the animals stay close to the right edge of the road; when necessary to cross the road, they must observe and only cross when it is safe; they must not obstruct other road users and vehicles.

- They are not allowed to control, lead animals, or drive animal-drawn vehicles into lanes designated for motor vehicles.

- They are not allowed to release animals on the road.

(Article 32 of the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order 2024)

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE