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| National Assembly Standing Committee holds its 31st session on March 14-19__Photo: VNA |
The National Assembly Standing Committee on March 15 discussed the draft law on Traffic Order and Safety, which will maintain the zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol.
This policy aligns with the 2019 Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse (Clause 6, Article 5).
Previous discussions on the draft traffic safety and order law mulled two options regarding the driver’s blood alcohol level.
The first option is a total ban on vehicle control for drivers with any positive level of blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Reports show that the policy has brought in encouraging results since it was enacted as part of the 2019 Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse, with a decrease in traffic accidents caused by drunk driving.
Regarding the endogenously produced ethanol that may result in a positive reading on breathalyzers, policymakers said there is not sufficient evidence to back this hypothesis and suggested that additional blood testing can be used for confirmation.
They also note that this is a strict policy that will affect the drinking habits of a portion of the population, especially in several local festivals, and will reduce alcohol consumption which in turn influence the production, import-export and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the country.
The second option considers allowing motorbike control for drivers whose BAC is less than 50 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, or 0.25 milligrams per 1 liter of breath. If this option is selected, Clause 6 of Article 5 in the 2019 Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse also needs to be amended for compliance.
While additional assessment to determine the lowest level of BAC allowed is required, this option is said to be similar to the current regulations in many other countries and will maintain the economic benefits of alcoholic beverages.
However, policymakers are concerned that this regulation will increase the number of drunk driving accidents and pose feasibility challenges in law enactment.
In agreement with the Government, the NA Committee on Defense and Security agrees to submit Option 1 to the NA to protect people’s lives and social resources.
Le Thi Nga, head of the NA Committee on Justice, said that following the promulgation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse, a culture of no alcohol while driving has taken shape among the people.
Sharing the same perspective, the chief of the NA Commission on Delegate Affairs Nguen Thi Thanh agreed that the well-received policy has become a norm and contributes to limiting traffic accidents caused by alcohol influence.- (VNS/VLLF)
