From March 6-17, traffic police from 24 Saigon districts will start establishing checkpoints and stopping cars to warn drivers and passengers about wearing seat belts.
Then, from March 17 to June 17, officers will start imposing stricter regulations and fines on those who violate the seat belt law, Thanh Nien reports. A violation will warrant a fine from VND100,000 to VND200,000. Public transportation management centers and taxi parking stations are also expected to promote the initiative to drivers.
All four-wheel vehicles arriving and leaving Saigon are subjected to inspection at two checkpoints on the National Route 1 and the connector into the HCMC–Trung Luong Highway.
The fine for not wearing seat belts was introduced last year and went into effect January 1, 2018. According to the HCMC Police Department, despite having been around for a long time, not many drivers and passengers comply to the seat belt law.
At taxi and bus stations, vehicles that violate the seat belt law are not allowed to leave. According to Tran Van Phuong, deputy chairman of Mien Tay Bus Station, before any vehicle leaves the station, an employee will make sure drivers and passengers comply with the seat belt law. Mien Dong Bus Station will also conduct similar warnings.
[Photo via Thanh Nien]
