Seventy-eight traffic accidents were reported on Saturday, the first day of the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, leaving 35 people dead and 66 others injured, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The Vietnam News Agency reported that the number of traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries increased by seven, five, and 11, respectively, compared to Friday.

Nationwide, traffic police officers patrolled the streets and issued citations to 7,469 individuals for violating safety regulations.

Out of the total, 7,466 road users incurred administrative fines amounting to nearly VND18.8 billion (US$770,400).

Among them, 2,835 were penalized for drunk driving, and 1,720 faced sanctions for speeding.

Law enforcement forces confiscated 211 vehicles found in violation, including over 3,500 motorcycles, and revoked nearly 1,600 driver's licenses.

The remaining three violators were penalized for flouting railway and waterway traffic rules.

In related news, two local people were killed and three were injured in two separate crashes on Friday in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety.

The first collision between a 18-year-old motorcyclist and an 11-year-old cyclist happened at 12:00 pm, leaving both slightly injured.

At that time, a trucker, whose identity remains unknown, slammed into a three-year-old pedestrian when the former was trying to steer his vehicle to avoid the scene of the bike accident.

The child pedestrian, after receiving emergency treatment at a local hospital, was later pronounced dead.

In the second accident around 3:30 pm, a truck collided with three motorcycles that were stationary at the roadside, resulting in one fatality and another individual sustaining a broken leg.

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