In a recent review on traffic safety and order in the first quarter of 2024, transport minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng said that this type of penalty is proving effective for car drivers, but the same cannot be said for motorbikes.

Improving motorbike users’ behaviours would help reduce the number of traffic incidents in the future, he added.

Cold fines use the traffic surveillance system to track and impose penalties on motorists.

Nguyễn Bình, a resident of Hoàn Kiếm District of Hà Nội, agreed that cold fines should be extended to motorbike users to ensure traffic safety, improving their behaviours and compliance with the laws.

“In reality, many motorists do not respect the traffic lanes or traffic lights, which pose accident risks. Applying cold fines can make reckless bikers more aware,” said Bình.

Thu Trang, a capital city resident in Thạch Thất District, said that many people run red lights when there are no traffic law enforcers around.

“If cold fines are issued, motorbike users will no longer dare to run red lights. This measure should be widely applied,” she said.

Nguyễn Đức, a resident of Bắc Ninh Province, raised the concern that because motorbikes are not currently required to undergo regular inspections and many people buy secondhand vehicles without changing ownership on paper, it can be difficult to reach the violators in case of cold penalties.

“If the cold fine notices are issued but the violators do not receive them, we cannot ensure that the fine will be paid and effective in maintaining traffic order,” said Đức.

Meanwhile, Hải Phòng City resident Tiến Huy worries that cold fines might not be effective against riding on sidewalks or wrong-way driving.

“Unlike cars, motorbikes only have one plate at the rear end of the vehicles. Can surveillance camera record all the violations that occur?”, he posed the question.

Cold fines for motorbike users using traffic surveillance systems can be effective in certain cases.

In March, a woman was fined VNĐ15.4 million (US$608) for committing more than 26 traffic violations in Bắc Giang Province, including 16 times she sped a red light and 10 times she rode the bike without a helmet.

Another motorbike user in the same province also paid VNĐ14 million ($552) for five times he sped a red light and 19 times he didn’t wear a helmet while on the bike.

According to Hiệp Hòa District traffic police in Bắc Giang, in February this year, around 100 cases of motorbike users violating traffic rules more than 12 times were recorded by the district surveillance camera system. — VNS