Hanoi's Traffic Police Department fined more than 200 motorbike and car drivers a total ofVND324 million (US$15,400) for drinking and driving between December 15 and 25.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Traffic Police Department, said the agency seized all 214 drivers' licences and registrations.

The department hoped to prevent drinkers from causing road accidents as Tet approached, with a campaign against drinking under the influence lasting from December 15 to February 28, he said.

The campaign would help the city reduce the number of drunk drivers and the number of alcohol-related road accidents, Hai said. Police would focus on areas with restaurants, karaoke and bars, where drivers often drink and create dangerous situations in traffic, he said.

Traffic police and local police would visit the restaurants, bars and karaoke businesses to raise awareness about the problem, Hau said.

The police would take more serious action against drivers who were unwilling to co-operate, or fight or run from them, Hai said. Police would also have to take people home who were too intoxicated to travel by themselves.

According to Decree 171, police will fine car drivers at least VND2.5 million ($119) for alcohol concentrations exceeding 0.25mg of alcohol per one litre of breath, and seize their driver licenses for 7 to 30 days. Motorbike drivers will be fined at least VND500,000 ($23.80) for alcohol concentrations of 50mg per 100ml of blood, or 0.25mg per one litre of breath. Police will seize motorbike licences for 2 months. 

VNS/VNN