As many as 209 traffic accidents occurred nationwide during the four-day New Year holiday from January 1 to 4, with none recorded for waterways.

Of the figure, 208 road accidents claimed 103 lives and injured 135 others, mainly due to drink-driving, excessive speed, overload, and driving without helmets.

There was only one railway incident that killed one person.

Rises were seen in the number of cases (17 cases) and injuries (17 people) while fatalities declined (two people) compared to the same period last year, a ccording to the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

On January 4 alone, police handled nearly 33,800 traffic violation cases with 17 billion VND (795,000USD) of fines collected and 68 cars and around 17,000 scooters temporarily seized.

Several gridlocks were reported at gateways into Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City due to a bulk of city population returning home or taking vacations during the holiday.

However, the police promptly handled the situation by clearing ways and directing vehicles.

Security at coach terminals and train stations were ensured.

VNA/VNN