From fear of losing money to civilized habits
Having been driving a motorbike taxi for about 2 years, Nguyen Van Phuc (Hai Duong) always has a phone holder on his motorbike. From there, he can easily view Google Maps, pick up and drop off passengers while driving.
Before Decree 168, Mr. Phuc admitted that he often ran traffic lights and walked on the sidewalk to get the maximum number of customers in a day. This helped him increase the number of customers, get higher points from the running app, and contribute to increasing his income.
However, Decree 168 was implemented, increasing the penalty for traffic violations, causing Mr. Phuc to change.
"At first, I was afraid of losing the fine so I didn't dare to violate the law, but then it became a habit to comply. However, I don't understand whether using a phone to work while participating in traffic will be punished or not?" - Mr. Phuc wondered.
Emphasize "hand-held and phone-using" behavior
Lawyer Nguyen Trong Nghia - Hanoi Bar Association - shared: According to Clause 6, Article 9 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024, holding and using a phone or other electronic device while driving a vehicle on the road is strictly prohibited.
Lawyer Nghia said that if an individual mounts the phone on a stand to view Google Maps without using the phone and operating it while driving, it does not violate the above regulations.
The reason is that the above regulation emphasizes the behavior of "using hands and using the phone". When the phone is fixed on a stand and the individual only observes the screen to orient without operating it, it is not within the scope of the prohibition. However, the use of the phone (even when mounted on a stand) must still ensure traffic safety.
Decree 168 also clearly states the fines for using hand-held devices and cell phones while driving a motorbike.
Colonel Nguyen Quang Nhat - Head of the Traffic Accident Investigation and Resolution Department, Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) - said that although traffic safety violations have decreased compared to the previous year, there are still many violations.
There were more than 36,000 cases of violations of alcohol concentration; nearly 2,900 cases of violations of oversize and overload; and more than 3,200 cases of violations of non-compliance with traffic light signals.
"There are still risks for those who do not comply with traffic rules, such as not obeying traffic lights or going the wrong way, especially on roads without traffic police supervision, without traffic cameras or at night or early morning when there are few traffic participants," Colonel Nguyen Quang Nhat informed.
According to point d clause 4, point b clause 10 and points b, d clause 13 Article 7 Decree 168, the fine for holding and using a phone while driving a motorbike is as follows:
Fines from VND800,000 to VND1,000,000 will be imposed on drivers using umbrellas, audio devices (except hearing aids), using hand-held devices, and using phones or other electronic devices. At the same time, 4 driving license points will be deducted.
A fine of VND 10,000,000 to VND 14,000,000 shall be imposed on drivers who use umbrellas, audio devices (except hearing aids), use hand-held devices and use phones or other electronic devices that cause traffic accidents. In addition to the fine, 10 driving license points will be deducted.
Thus, motorcyclists who hold and use a phone while driving will be fined from 800,000 to 1,000,000 VND. In case holding and using a phone while driving causes an accident, the fine will be from 10,000,000 to 14,000,000 VND.
In addition, driving license points will be deducted according to regulations.
