Hanoi Traffic Police stop and penalise multiple vehicles equipped with ultra-bright headlights on March 5.
The additional lights, modified and installed by drivers, included LED bars, xenon lights, and projector headlights. These emit significantly stronger illumination than standard factory-fitted headlights. When used in urban areas and densely populated zones, these high-intensity lights cause glare, affecting the vision of oncoming drivers.
Nguyen Thanh, 42, was driving a truck when he was visibly surprised when traffic police pulled him over and informed him of his violation. He explained that he had installed the ultra-bright headlights because the original vehicle lights were too dim.
"I didn't think installing these additional lights would result in a fine. After this incident, I've learnt my lesson and will remove them myself," Thanh said.
Similarly, driver Quyet Duc, 30, had installed two ultra-bright LED lights at the front of his vehicle. He stated that he frequently drove to construction sites at night, where visibility was poor, necessitating additional lighting.
"I usually only turn them on when entering construction sites, but I may have switched them on by mistake today. I will take this as a lesson and not repeat the offence," Duc said.
One driver had installed four auxiliary lights. He explained that he often travelled on foggy mountain passes in the Northwest region and needed the extra lighting.
However, he also admitted that using these high-intensity lights in residential areas could cause glare, affecting other road users.
Some violations went beyond front-mounted headlights. A concrete mixer truck was found to have additional lights installed around the vehicle, including rear-facing illumination, which blinded drivers behind it and made it difficult for them to see the road.
During a four-hour patrol, the Traffic Police Task Force recorded and fined 10 cases of vehicles equipped with unauthorised front or rear lights. Offenders were fined VND 1.5 million and deducted two points from their driving licences.
Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Chien, Head of Traffic Police Unit 6, stated that in the coming period, more officers would be deployed to patrol and strictly handle cases of illegally installed headlights. Authorities will also encourage drivers to remove non-compliant lights voluntarily.
