On the afternoon of September 26, at a press conference on the socio-economic situation in Ho Chi Minh City, Lieutenant Colonel Le Manh Ha - Deputy Head of Advice Department, Ho Chi Minh City Police - answered questions about the issue of breathalyzer testing.
One of the routes with enhanced alcohol concentration control is Nguyen Van Cu - a vital traffic route connecting central districts such as District 1, District 3, District 5 with suburban areas such as District 7, District 8, Binh Chanh and Nha Be.
Due to high traffic volume and common alcohol-related violations, this route has become a key control point for traffic police.
In fact, through inspection, it was found that most of the people who violated alcohol concentration were those who consumed alcohol at pubs in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, then traveled through Nguyen Van Cu route to return home to suburban districts.
In the first 9 months of 2024 (from December 15, 2023 to September 14, 2024), Ben Thanh Traffic Police Team - the unit managing Nguyen Van Cu route - handled 1,717 cases of alcohol concentration violations by vehicle drivers.
According to statistics, in the first 9 months of 2024, Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police handled 129,845 violations related to alcohol concentration, an increase of 1,244 cases compared to the same period last year. This contributed to a decrease of 79 traffic accidents (-7%) and a decrease of 167 deaths (-33%) compared to the same period.
Lieutenant Colonel Le Manh Ha said that the inspection and handling of violations related to alcohol concentration on the roads of Ho Chi Minh City did not cause traffic congestion.
He explained that the traffic police force uses a two-step alcohol testing process. The first is a qualitative test using a measuring funnel to quickly detect the alcohol concentration in the driver's breath. This process only takes about 3-5 seconds.
The second time, if there is a suspected violation, the traffic police will ask the driver to enter the processing area and use a quantitative measuring device to accurately determine the level of violation.
After that, an administrative violation report will be drawn up and the vehicle may be detained according to regulations.
Lieutenant Colonel Le Manh Ha emphasized that stopping vehicles to check alcohol concentration is an important professional activity of traffic police to ensure traffic order and safety.
Controlling alcohol levels not only helps reduce traffic accidents but also prevents dangerous crimes that can occur due to alcohol use, such as intentional injury, property damage, and even murder.
