The Government issued Decree 238/2026/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of provisions of Decree 168/2024/ND-CP on sanctioning administrative violations in the field of road traffic.
One of the notable contents is to clearly add the act of changing lanes but not ensuring a safe distance with vehicles in front, behind and on both sides. The new regulation takes effect from August 15, 2026.
Cars changing lanes unsafely fined up to 6 million VND
According to Decree 238, the act of changing lanes without ensuring a safe distance from vehicles in front, behind and on both sides is added to the groups of violations of changing lanes for both cars and motorbikes.
For drivers of cars on normal roads, the following acts are fined from 600,000-800,000 VND:
Changing lanes in the wrong permitted place;
Changing lanes but without prior warning;
Each time moving through more than one adjacent lane;
Changing lanes does not ensure a safe distance from vehicles in front, behind or on both sides.
Thus, drivers who have turned on turn signals but changed lanes too close, causing vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane to brake suddenly, steer to avoid or at risk of collision may still be fined.
In case of committing the above act while driving on the highway, the car driver is fined from 4-6 million VND and 2 points of the driver's license will be deducted. The fine on the highway is higher because vehicles travel at high speed, sudden lane changes or not keeping the distance are likely to lead to serious accidents.
Notably, the regulation does not only mention "swerving" other vehicles. Safe distance must also be maintained with the car behind and the car on both sides. Therefore, drivers need to observe mirrors, blind spots and traffic developments before moving to the adjacent lane.
Motorbikes moving lanes close to other vehicles are fined up to 400,000 VND
For drivers of motorbikes, mopeds and similar types of vehicles, changing lanes without ensuring a safe distance from vehicles in front, behind or on both sides will be fined from 200,000-400,000 VND.
This fine is also applied to acts of changing lanes in the wrong place, without prior warning or moving through more than one adjacent lane in one lane change.
The new regulation directly affects the situation where motorcyclists suddenly swerved into the adjacent lane, squeezed into narrow spaces or changed directions without observing the vehicle behind.
Vehicle drivers therefore not only need to turn on the traffic light but also must ensure that the lane change does not affect vehicles traveling normally. Turning on the turn signal does not automatically give priority to the vehicle to immediately change lanes.
In case of changing lanes incorrectly causing traffic accidents, the penalty level increases sharply:
Car drivers are fined from 20-22 million VND, minus 10 points on the driver's license;
Motorbike drivers are fined from 10-14 million VND, minus 10 points on the driver's license.
Decree 238/2026/ND-CP takes effect from August 15, 2026. The addition of this regulation aims to clarify the basis for sanctioning the act of changing lanes too close to other vehicles, which is often called by road users as "crossing the front" or "cutting off" vehicles.
