Hanoi police have caught 84 drivers who drove under the influence of alcohol in the first five days Decree 100/2019/ND-CP came into force, and put four cars and 80 motorbikes out of circulation temporarily, local media reported.

A local traffic policeman uses a breathalyzer to test the alcohol level of a motorcyclist. Photo: Nguyen Truong

Notably, 18 drivers of four cars, 13 motorbikes and one electric bike were found completely drunk while two others refused to obey the police's request for alcohol testing.

On January 1, a driver on the Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway was fined a record VND35 million (US$1,505) as his alcohol level for a single liter of breath was 0.719 milligrams, far exceeding the penalty ranges for this offense, the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security told Phap Luat newspaper. His driving license was also revoked for 23 months.

Under the new decree which took effect on January 1, bicycle riders will also be fined if they are caught drunk driving.

Bicycle drivers will be subject to a fine of up to VND400,000-600,000 (US$17.3-26) if they are driving after drinking alcoholic beverages. The fine applies to those who have an alcohol content of more than 80 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood or greater than 0.4 milligrams per liter of breathing air. This is the highest fine for cyclists.

A fine of from VND 200,000-300,000 (US$8.6-12.9) shall be imposed upon bicyclists who are found with alcohol content of between 50 milligrams and 80 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood or from 0.25 milligrams to 0.4 milligrams per liter of breathing air.

According to new regulations, car drivers will be fined up to VND30-40 million (US$1,297-1,729) and have their driving license revoked for 22-24 months if they break regulations on drunk driving. Motorcyclists may face a VND6-8 million (US$259-346) fine and have their driving license seized for 22-24 months for the same offense. These are the highest penalties for car drivers and motorcyclists.