Which vehicle on the road has the most priority? Order of priority vehicles when participating in road traffic in Vietnam

Which vehicle on the road has the most priority? Order of priority vehicles when participating in road traffic in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Which vehicle on the road has the highest priority? Order of priority vehicles when participating in road traffic in Vietnam

Pursuant to the provisions of Article 22 of the Law on Road Traffic 2008, priority rights of a number of vehicles when participating in road traffic in Vietnamare as follow:

*Priority

The following vehicles have the priority right to go before other vehicles when passing intersections from any direction of traffic in the following order:

- Fire engines traveling on duty;

- Military vehicles and police vehicles on urgent duty; motorcades led by police cars;

- Ambulances on duty;

- Dike-watch vehicles, vehicles employed in overcoming natural disasters or epidemics or in a state of emergency as prescribed by law;

- Funeral vehicle processions.

*Priority rights

- Vehicles specified at Points a, b, c and d of Clause 1 of Article 22 of the Law on Road Traffic 2008, when traveling on duty, shall give signals by means of horn, banner and light according to regulations; are not restricted in speed; may enter one-way roads from the opposite direction and other roads open to traffic, even go through the red light, and must only follow the instructions of persons directing traffic.

- When recognizing the signals of priority vehicles, road users shall promptly slow down, give way or pull in to the right edge of the carriageway to give way. They may not obstruct priority vehicles.

Thus, fire engines traveling on duty have the highest priority among the vehicles given priority because of the important and urgent nature of firefighting and rescue in order to minimize the damage to people and property.

Regulation on vehicles upon exercising emergency duty

According to Article 3 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP, regulation on vehicles upon exercising emergency duty are as follows:

- Military vehicles on emergency duty include: Military vehicles performing the command of fighting, rescue, salvage, tactical and information command, performance of express duties, command of operation groups, vehicles on duty of military control, inspection of military vehicles, group protection; vehicles on duty of seizing, searching or performing activities of investigation, escorting criminals, and taking part in prevention and fighting of terrorists.

- Police vehicles on emergency duty include: Vehicles on duty of seizing, searching or conducting investigation activities, escorting criminals, opposing demonstration, riots, dispersing crowds of public order disturbance, the vehicles on duty of traffic control patrolling, command of terrorist fighting, information and performance of express duties, command of operation group.

- The ambulance vehicles on first aid duty are the ones carrying emergency patients or going to pick up emergency patients

- The vehicles on duty in the state of emergency are the ones going to perform the special measures upon serious threatening situation to the national security and social order and safety or upon major disaster and dangerous epidemics.

Regulations on signals of vehicles upon exercising emergency duty

* Signal of fire truck on duty

A fire truck shall have a rotating or strobe beacon with red or blue light on the roof, and a siren

(Article 4 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

* Signal of military truck on emergency duty

- An automobile shall have a strobe beacon with red light on the roof, a military flag mounted in the front on the driver's side, and a siren.

- A motorbike shall have a strobe beacon with red light mounted in the front or rear, a military flag in the front, and a siren.

(Article 5 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

* Signal of police vehicles on emergency duty

- The automobile with the rotating beacon light or flashing light of red or blue color on the car roof, police flag fixed at the front of automobile on the left of the driver with priority signal horn.

- The automobile with the rotating beacon light or flashing light of red color fixed at the front or back shaft; military flag fixed at the front of automobile with priority signal horn.

(Article 6 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

* Signal of way-directing police vehicles

- The automobile with the rotating beacon light or flashing light of red or blue color on the car roof, police flag fixed at the front of automobile on the left of the driver with priority signal horn.

- The automobile with the rotating beacon light or flashing light of red color fixed at the front or back shaft; military flag fixed at the front of automobile with priority signal horn.

(Article 7 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

* Signal of ambulance vehicles on emergency duty

The ambulance vehicles with the rotating beacon light or flashing light of red color on the car roof with the priority signal horn.

(Article 8 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

* Signal of dike protection vehicles, vehicles on emergency duy as prescribed by law.

- The vehicles on duty of dyke protection with the flag “DIKE PROTECTION” fixed at the front of automobile on the left of the driver.

- Vehicles of epidemicsor vehicles on duty in the state of emergency as prescribed by law as follows:

+ Vehicles of epidemics

+ Vehicles in the state of emergency as prescribed by law with the flag “STATE OF EMERGENCY” fixed at the front of automobile on the left of the driver.

(Article 9 of Decree 109/2009/ND-CP)

Le Nguyen Anh Hao

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE