Vietnam: Notable contents in the driving license exam in 2021

1. Driving tests carried out through traffic situation simulator

According to Point a Clause 13 Article 1 of the Circular No. 38/2019/TT-BGTVT of the Vietnam’s Minister of Transport, Point h shall be added to Clause 3 Article 21 of the Circular No. 12/2017/TT-BGTVT. To be specific, driving tests carried out through traffic situation simulator mean that driving test candidates shall respond to simulation situations on the computers.

In which,

- Driving simulators for testing include a system of computers installed with traffic situation simulator;

- Driving simulators for training include: a system of computers installed with traffic situation simulator and cabin to learn driving cars.

According to the Circular No. 38/2019/TT-BGTVT, the use of simulators for training driving cars shall be applied officially from January 01, 2021. Concurrently, simulator cabins and devices are equipped after 06 months to monitor practice time and distance of learners in accordance with national technical regulations.

Learners of B1, B2 and C class shall learn traffic situation simulator for 4 hours, driving practice in the cabin for 3 hours (upgrade from B1 automatic to B1 does not have to learn).

However, recently, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam officially postponed the application deadline for a number of regulations in training, testing and issuance of driver's licenses. Specifically, in the report of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, the time to apply new regulations on learning and taking driver's licenses is as follows:

- Facilities need to install equipment to monitor the time and distance of practicing driving on the road on the practice car from December 15, 2021;

- Newly equipped or upgraded computer system to install software to simulate traffic situations to be transferred by Directorate for Roads from December 31, 2021;

- Equipped with a cabin to practice driving from June 15, 2022.

2. The addition of learning on simulation software and practicing driving in the cabin does not change the training time

Specifically, according to Clause 2 Article 47 of the Circular No. 12/2017/TT-BGTVT amended by Circular No. 38/2019/TT-BGTVT, while the traffic situation simulator and simulator cabins have not been used, the driver training institutions shall develop curriculum, course book and provide training in conformity with required training duration, in specific:

- Number of hours for learning driving techniques of B1, B2, C class learner drivers shall include the number of hours for learning traffic situation simulator;

- Number of hours for learning driving ethics and traffic etiquette of class upgrade learner drivers shall include the number of hours for learning traffic situation simulator;

- Number of hours for driving practice/1 dual-control car shall include the number of hours for driving in simulator cabins.

Thus, the addition of learning on simulation software and practicing driving in the cabin does not change the training time.

3. Consider recognizing driving test results

According to Clause 2 Article 27 of the Circular No. 12/2017/TT-BGTVT amended by Circular No. 38/2019/TT-BGTVT, consider recognizing driving test results of driving test candidates of automatic transmission B1 class, B1, B2, C, D, E and F class are as following:

Step 1: Candidate has passed the theory test;

Step 2: Candidate has passed the practice test via traffic situation simulator;

Step 3: Candidate has passed the practice test on situational diagrams;

Step 4: Candidate has passed the practice test on roads.

According to this Article, a candidate who has failed the theory test may not take the practice test via traffic situation simulator; a candidate who has failed the practice test via traffic situation simulator may not take the practice test on situational diagrams; a candidate who has failed the practice test on situational diagrams may not take the practice test on roads.

A candidate who has passed the theory test and practice test via traffic situation simulator, practice test on situational diagrams and on roads shall be recognized as successful candidate.

A candidate who has passed the theory test, the practice test via traffic situation simulator, and the practice test on situational diagrams may reserve his/her theory test result within 1 year from the date on which the last result is given

Thuy Tram

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE