Road accidents have, as always, disrupted the Lunar New Year in Vietnam, claiming a score of lives on the first and most important day of the festival.

Twenty-three people died and 32 were wounded in 36 road crashes on Saturday, which was Lunar New Year’s Day.

Vietnamese started celebrating Tet, or the Lunar New Year, on the weekend and their festivities will last for a week.

Police handled 1,390 cases of traffic rule violations, taking away 68 driver’s licenses and confiscating 473 vehicles.

Many Vietnamese lose their lives in road accidents annually during Tet, with drunk driving among the leading causes.

Locals throw many parties and drink a lot when celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Thirty-four crashes happened across the country on New Year’s Day (January 1), killing 33 people and injuring 22 others, traffic police said, adding that all occurred on the road.

This represented a rise from the same day last year, when 27 road accidents occurred, causing 23 fatalities and wounding nine people.

Traffic accidents have been a headache for local authorities who have left no stone unturned to bring down annual fatalities, but to little avail.

Last year, 8,417 people died in 21,094 road accidents in Vietnam.