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Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Trung Phong said in 2018, HCM City had 3,643 accidents, killing 702 people and injuring 2,517. The number of accidents, deaths and injured people decreased by 245 cases, three and 440 people respectively compared to 2017.
The police have dealt with 562,575 violations and collected VND231bn (USD9.9m) in fines.
Inspections for alcohol and drug-positive drivers will be carried out before, during and after Tet Holiday from 6 pm to 2 am, especially at Mien Dong and Mien Tay bus terminals.
In the first phase, the police will check vehicles at the bus terminals, ports and on routes in and out of the city. In the second phase, they will work with the preventive medicine facilities to test the drug-positive drivers and transfer them to responsible agencies.
They will also work with transport firms to test the drivers regularly.
Drug use is high among commercial truck drivers as amphetamines and cocaine help them stay awake. Four people were killed and 18 were injured when a truck ran into dozens of motorbikes waiting at a red light in Long An Province on January 2. The driver in the case tested positive for alcohol and drugs.
Police checks have revealed many drivers as drug positive. The drivers said they knew about the dangers of driving under the influence but they had no other choice due to the high-pressure deadlines they were operating under.
Driver Phan Hau from Phu Yen Province revealed that out-of-date trucks have been massively imported from the US and China. In addition, because of the high demand for drivers to transport dragon fruit trucks to the Chinese border, businesses will hire inexperienced drivers for long-distance trips.
"The company should hire two drivers but in order to cut corners, they only hire one and this driver will find an assistant at a cheaper price. On the north-south trips, the main drivers only work during the 'best hours' and let the assistants drive at noon and night. The assistants often use drugs to stay awake," Hau said.
Statistics from HCM City Police Department show that there are 23,508 registered addicts. Major General Phan Anh Minh, deputy director of the Police Department, suggested tightening management with stricter punishments. Currently, firms only have to bear civil liability when their drivers cause accidents. The regulations should be revised so that firms and vehicle owners face criminal responsibility when using addicted drivers or allow overloaded buses or trucks.
