The Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway is 100.8km long, the entire route passes through Binh Thuan province. Up to now, after more than 16 months of operation, many serious traffic accidents have occurred on this expressway.
Regarding the current status, the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway has a road surface of 4 lanes, with some locations having emergency stop strips. The maximum speed on this expressway is 90 km/h. There is currently 1 temporary rest stop on the expressway.
Many accidents occurred on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway due to the car behind hitting the back of the car in the same direction in front, such as in the early morning of September 24 at km 227, when a passenger bus hit the back of a tractor trailer, killing the bus driver and injuring 10 passengers.
On September 19, a passenger bus rear-ended a passenger bus that was stopped in the lane near the guardrail to fix an incident at km191, killing two passengers on the spot and injuring three others.
On the evening of September 8, at km 219, a truck crashed into the back of another truck in the same direction in front of it that was changing direction from the emergency stop strip to the middle of the road, causing the driver's assistant to die.
These are just 3 accidents since the beginning of September and they all have the common feature of involving passenger buses, trucks and tractors. The location of the accident had no street lights. The time of the accident was between 11pm and 5am the next day.
With the continuous accidents on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway, people have raised many questions about the road design or the drivers?
Binh Thuan Province Traffic Safety Committee analyzed the data and found that the main cause was drivers not keeping distance and not paying attention.
Mr. Pham Quoc Huy, Executive Director of Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway (Project Management Board 7, Ministry of Transport) said that drivers were subjective when traveling on the expressway. Because the location of the accident was a straight road, the road surface was smooth, there was a full road signaling system, and it was not raining when the accident occurred.
To find out more, on the evening of September 23, a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper boarded a sleeper bus of a bus company departing from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet. At the same time, he chose a sleeper bus near the driver's seat to observe the process of this bus traveling through the highways.
According to the records, the driver focused on driving, did not use mobile phones while driving, drove at the correct speed limit, and did not have to brake suddenly.
"Just drive at the right speed, why rush? If you are unlucky enough to speed and get into an accident or get a ticket from the traffic police and your license is revoked, who will take care of the mouths at home?" the driver confided.
Faced with many traffic accidents occurring on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway, the Traffic Safety Committee of Binh Thuan province has proposed that the Ministry of Transport speed up the deployment of rest stops and install traffic surveillance cameras to fine violators.
At the same time, promptly invest in continuous emergency lanes on both sides of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway and prioritize the early operation of lighting systems at intersections.
Traffic police recommend that drivers driving at night on the highway must absolutely drive at the correct speed, keep a safe distance, and pay attention.
Transport companies must comply with traffic laws. For distances over 300km, two drivers must be arranged and drivers must strictly comply with driving time regulations. Ensure adequate rest and avoid drowsiness while driving.
