According to the Law on Road Traffic Safety 2024, stopping a vehicle is a temporary static state of the vehicle for a necessary period of time to allow people to get on, off, unload goods, check vehicle technical or other activities.
When stopping a vehicle, the engine cannot be turned off and the driver's seat cannot be left, except in cases of leaving the driver's seat to close, open the car door, load, unload goods, check the vehicle's technical performance, but must use brakes or take other safety measures.
Regarding the regulation on stopping and parking on highways, this Law stipulates that vehicles can only be stopped or parked at designated places.
In case of technical problems or other force majeure that force stopping or parking, the vehicle must be stopped or parked in the emergency lane in the same direction as the vehicle is running and the emergency lights must be turned on.
In case the vehicle cannot move into the emergency lane, there must be an emergency light signal and a sign or warning light must be placed at least 150 meters behind the vehicle, promptly notify the traffic police agency to ensure traffic order and safety on the route or the highway management agency.
In addition to the above-mentioned locations and emergency cases, the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order 2024 stipulates that drivers are not allowed to arbitrarily stop or park their cars on the highway.
According to Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, effective from January 1, 2025, the penalty for stopping and parking on the expressway in the wrong place will be a fine of 12 - 14 million VND, in addition, violators will also have their driving license deducted 6 points.
The same fine is applied to cases of stopping a car on the highway without turning on an emergency light or in the wrong place for one year.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Huy Thiem - Deputy Head of the Technical - Technology Department of the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway said that stopping and parking on the expressway is an extremely dangerous behavior, with many potential risks of causing serious traffic accidents. Because the highway is where vehicles move at very high speeds (from 60 km/h to 120 km/h). Parking suddenly creates a dangerous obstacle, causing the vehicles behind to not react in time and lead to a collision.
Especially in bad weather conditions such as rain and fog, visibility on the highway is limited. Stopping a vehicle in violation of regulations will make it difficult for other vehicles to detect and easily cause accidents.
When a vehicle stops on the highway, the vehicles behind are forced to brake suddenly or change lanes suddenly. This can lead to a series of collisions, causing great damage to people and property.
For your own safety and that of other road users, strictly comply with regulations on stopping and parking on highways, Mr. Thiem recommended.
