New regulations on cases where traffic police are allowed to stop vehicles to check documents in Vietnam

On August 1, 2023, the Minister of Public Security issued Circular 32/2023/TT-BCA on the tasks, powers, forms, content, and procedures of the Traffic Police for patrolling, controlling, and handling administrative violations of road traffic (taking effect on September 15, 2023).

In particular, regulations on stopping vehicles for control in Vietnam are as follows:

Cases where traffic police are allowed to stop vehicles to check documents in Vietnam

Traffic Police officers performing patrol and control duties according to plan are allowed to stop vehicles for control in the following cases:

- Directly detecting or, through means and professional technical equipment, detecting and collecting violations of road traffic laws and other violations of the law;

- Implementing orders and plans for total vehicle control to ensure road traffic order, safety, and social order; Plans for patrolling, controlling, and handling violations according to topics to ensure order, road traffic safety, and social order have been promulgated by competent authorities;

- There is a written request from the Head or Deputy Head of the investigation agency; Written request from relevant authorities to stop traffic vehicles for control to ensure security and order; fight against crime; prevent and fight natural disasters, fires, and explosions; disease prevention and control; rescue, rescuing, and other illegal acts. The written request must specify the time, route, means of transport stopped for control and handling, and the forces involved in coordination;

- There are reports, recommendations, and denunciations from organizations and individuals about violations of the law by people and vehicles participating in road traffic.

New regulations on cases where traffic police are allowed to stop vehicles to check documents in Vietnam (Internet image)

Requirements when stopping and controlling traffic vehicles in Vietnam

(1) Stopping and controlling traffic vehicles must ensure the following requirements:

- Safe, in accordance with the law, not obstructing traffic activities;

- Once the vehicle has stopped, it is necessary to control and handle violations (if any) according to regulations.

(2) When stopping or controlling at a point on a traffic road, the Traffic Police Station must ensure the requirements stated in item (1) and the following requirements:

- Placing barriers with cone-shaped cones or strings along the road on the part of the road or lane close to the curb or sidewalk to form an area to ensure traffic order and safety according to regulations of the Ministry of Public Security on implementing democracy in ensuring traffic order and safety. Based on the actual situation and traffic route characteristics, deploy the appropriate barrier length to ensure safety;

- Areas ensuring traffic order and safety must comply with the provisions of the law on road traffic and other relevant laws; Sufficient area to arrange and install professional technical means and equipment, control violations, and handle violations; Based on the actual situation in the control area and control topic, Traffic Police officers can be arranged to guide and regulate traffic, ensuring traffic safety.

(3) When stopping and controlling traffic on an expressway, the requirements mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (2) must be met, and the following requirements are met:

- When controlling at a point, only stop means of traffic to control and handle violations at the following locations: tollgate area, starting and ending points of highways;

- When patrolling or under mobile control, vehicles may only be stopped in the emergency vehicle stopping lane to control and handle violations in the following cases: detecting serious violations of traffic order and safety and the risk of causing immediate traffic insecurity; coordinating the fight against crime; preventing and fighting natural disasters, fires, and explosions; rescue and salvage; reports, denunciations, and reports on illegal acts of people and vehicles traveling on the highway; detecting vehicles stopping or parking illegally on the highway. After resolving the incident, the traffic poles, ropes, and signs must be cleaned up and moved immediately;

- Placing sign number 245a "Go slow" or sign number 245b (for external routes) in front of the Traffic Police Team in the direction of the traffic that needs to be controlled according to the provisions of the law on road signs.

Mai Thanh Loi

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE