Road traffic accidents claimed 207 lives in Vietnam during the nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, from January 25 until 10:00 am on February 2, marking a significant year-on-year decrease of 37.46 percent, according to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security.

The reported fatalities resulted from 442 traffic accidents nationwide, which also left 372 people injured, the department reported on Sunday.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of accidents and injuries showed substantial declines of approximately 36.76 percent and 38.41 percent, respectively.

During the holiday period, authorities handled 55,842 road traffic violations. Over 21,000 vehicles were impounded, 2,985 driver’s licenses were revoked, and 7,035 driver’s licenses had points deducted.

Among the offenders, 17,149 drivers were caught driving under the influence of alcohol, down 54.29 percent; 13,296 exceeded speed limits, down 45.6 percent; 174 were found carrying overloaded goods, down 25.64 percent; and 88 tested positive for drugs.

This improvement is partly attributed to the enforcement of Government Decree 168, which took effect on January 1, 2025. The decree imposes stricter penalties on traffic violations, aiming to deter unsafe behavior and reduce traffic-related casualties.

However, one particularly serious incident occurred in northern Nam Dinh Province on January 30 afternoon, when a car plunged into a river, resulting in the deaths of seven people and injuries to two others.

During the Tet holiday, two railway accidents were reported, resulting in one fatality and one injury, and a single waterway incident claimed one life.

Throughout the break, overall road safety and order were largely maintained nationwide, according to the department. 

However, heavy traffic – especially in the days leading up to Tet and toward the end of the holiday – resulted in congestion on key routes.

These included major access points to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, key highways, and the Rach Mieu Bridge, which connects Tien Giang and Ben Tre Provinces in the Mekong Delta.

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