Road traffic accidents claimed the lives of 27 people across Vietnam on Saturday, the first day of the nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, marking a decrease of 16 fatalities, or some 37 percent, compared to the same period last year, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

The fatalities resulted from 47 road crashes nationwide, which also left 31 people injured, according to a report submitted to the government by the agency on Saturday, based on data from the Ministry of Public Security.

The number of accidents and injuries also saw significant drops, decreasing by approximately 41 percent and 45 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.

These substantial declines coincide with the implementation of Government Decree 168, which came into effect on January 1, 2025.

The decree enforces stricter penalties for traffic violations, aiming to curb unsafe behaviors and reduce accidents and casualties.

On the same day, national traffic police reported 8,870 violations, impounded over 2,500 vehicles, revoked 649 driver’s licenses, and deducted points from 874 driver's licenses.

Among the violators were 1,909 drivers under the influence of alcohol, 2,222 exceeding speed limits, 94 carrying overloaded goods, 40 transporting excessive numbers of passengers, and 20 testing positive for drug use.

Traffic enforcement was particularly active on National Highway 1, where police organized 170 working shifts, inspected nearly 11,500 vehicles, and handled 1,281 violations.

Since Friday afternoon, traffic from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces has surged significantly.

In Hanoi, heavy congestion was reported on Belt Roads 2 and 3, National Highway 5, Co Linh and Nguyen Van Cu Streets, Chuong Duong and Vinh Tuy Bridges, Nguyen Khoai Dyke, and several major routes through the city center, leading to slow-moving traffic.

To address the situation, the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security worked alongside local traffic police units to deploy additional personnel to manage and guide vehicles along key routes.

Similarly, in the south, dense traffic was recorded on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay and Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressways, critical links connecting Ho Chi Minh City to neighboring provinces.

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