HÀ NỘI — The Traffic Police General Department launched a campaign from Saturday to ensure traffic safety and social order during the holidays and festivals.

The campaign, lasting through February 28, is aimed at preventing traffic congestion and accidents, particularly prolonged traffic jams and serious accidents, during Christmas, the calendar New Year holiday, Tết (Lunar New Year festival) and spring festivals in early 2018.

The traffic police will mobilise available forces, vehicles and equipment to patrol, inspect, supervise and handle violations, particularly violations that are considered the major causes of traffic accidents and congestions, such as speeding, drunk driving, driving in the wrong direction and driving in the wrong lane, as well as talking on the phone while driving, overloading, driving without a licence and using expired vehicles.  

Along railway routes, traffic police will co-ordinate with local authorities, police and the railway sector to check the adoption of railway traffic regulations to ensure safety, particularly along routes with a high number of illegal crossings.  

Along inland water routes, traffic police will work with relevant agencies and local authorities to take measures to ensure traffic safety and social order. They will suspend the operation of vehicles that fail to meet safety requirements. Vehicles found to be overloaded, not meeting technical standards, unregistered and sailors without licences and driving certificates will be strictly handled.

During the three-day calendar New Year 2017 holiday, the country saw 93 traffic accidents, which killed 79 people and injured 54 others. — VNS