The Vietnam Road Administration under the Ministry of Construction has sent a document asking the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate in identifying expressway sections where administrative penalties are imposed for violations of safe-distance requirements.

The move follows instructions from Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc in Notice No. 482 dated Sept. 14 on reviewing regulations governing safe following distances for vehicles on the road.

According to the Vietnam Road Administration, the deputy prime minister instructed the Ministry of Construction to urgently coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and relevant agencies and local authorities to install signs on expressway sections where motorists can be penalized for failing to maintain a safe distance.

The signs are intended to help drivers identify where the requirements apply and comply with the regulations.

Following the instruction, the Ministry of Construction on Sept. 18 tasked the Vietnam Road Administration with coordinating with the Traffic Police Department to carry out the related work.

In its latest document, the road administration asked the Traffic Police Department to provide a list of expressway locations where administrative penalties are imposed for safe-distance violations by Oct. 10, 2026.

The list will serve as the basis for the road administration to instruct relevant agencies and units to install road signs and markings used to determine safe following distances on expressways.

The move to identify specific expressway sections where penalties apply comes as Vietnam reviews its safe-distance regulations to better reflect actual conditions on individual roads.

Under current regulations, motorists must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle immediately ahead.

On expressways, maintaining sufficient distance is particularly important because it gives drivers enough time to react when a vehicle ahead slows down or stops suddenly.

Vu Diep