Community service proposed for drunk drivers

The National Assembly has discussed measures to prevent drunk driving including making violators do community service.

The National Assembly has discussed measures to prevent drunk driving including making violators do community service.

 

National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien

Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs, said they had encountered some problems while compiling a report about the draft Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Alcohol. Anh said there were many different opinions from beverage firms and health organisations.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien said strict punishments were needed for social issues of cause public concern and hadn't been properly addressed by the laws such as drunk driving. Hien said Vietnam had regulations about drunk driving but they could still apply stricter punishment to violators whether they had caused accidents or not.

According to Hien, the current administrative fine of VND15m (USD643) to VND20m was too small to be a deterrent so violators should be forced to do community service.

"Drunk drivers who haven't caused accidents can be made to pay higher fines and forced to clean the To Lich River for example," he said. "They may not bat an eye when being asked to pay the fine but will hesitate if they have to clean To Lich River."

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also agreed, saying that drunk drivers can be made to do environmental work in their wards.

For those who drive under the influence of drugs should be banned from driving and face criminal offences if they cause an accident.