There has been no fatality caused by traffic accidents in Ho Chi Minh City during the 2017 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, the first time in several years.

2017 is the first year in a long time in which nobody was killed by traffic crashes in the southern hub during Tet, Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Trung Phong, head of the traffic police division under the municipal Department of Police, said on Wednesday.

Local traffic police had taken comprehensive measures to ensure traffic order and safety before, during, and after the traditional holiday, Lt. Col. Phong continued.

The Lunar New Year started on January 28, with preparations and celebrations often lasting a week before and after the date.

The peak period was between January 17 and 25, the week before Tet, the police official stated, adding that traffic cops applied specific methods to curb traffic jams and accidents at certain hotspots in the city, namely airports, seaports, bus stations, routes leading to the city’s entrances, and others.

The number of vehicles dropped significantly during the Lunar New Year, from January 26 to 31, as many residents left the southern hub for their hometown or vacation.

However, officers still kept regular patrols and constantly reminded citizens to comply with traffic regulations and avoid accidents, Lt. Col. Phong elaborated.

On January 31, the traffic police division began the third phase in its operation, which is to ensure safety after the Lunar New Year, as people started flocking back to the southern hub for work, he added.

According to a recent report by the city’s police department, 33 criminal offenses were recorded during the four festive days, from January 28 to 31, down 10.81 percent year-on-year.

From January 27 to February 1, 24 house fires occurred, over 67 percent less than the previous year, the report added.