Authorities identify two locations for distance-violation enforcement on Phap Van, Cau Gie expressway

Vietnam’s traffic police have identified two locations on the Phap Van, Cau Gie expressway route where drivers can be penalized for failing to keep a safe distance: Km219 and Km326.

The Traffic Police Department said officers will enforce the rule only at locations with standardized signs and road markings showing the required spacing between vehicles. Surveillance systems must also record the violation, providing what authorities call electronic evidence.

Electronic data, combined with video or images of the signs and road markings, can establish a vehicle’s speed and distance from the car ahead at the relevant moment. On other sections of the expressway, drivers must judge a safe distance themselves based on traffic speed.

The department said traffic volumes rose sharply during the early days of the September 2 National Day holiday, but drivers showed better compliance. Vehicles stayed in their lanes more consistently, changed lanes less often and maintained greater distances from vehicles ahead.

As of noon on September 1, no chain-reaction crash had occurred on the Phap Van, Cau Gie, Ninh Binh expressway. Authorities said keeping vehicles apart can allow traffic to continue moving even when speeds fall. A slower speed at one point may still shorten the overall journey by preventing crashes, breakdowns, repair costs and long waits.

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When road incidents are reduced, people also avoid waiting time, vehicle repair costs and unnecessary risks. Therefore, the speed at a particular moment may be lower, but the total journey can be shorter when traffic continues smoothly, safely and without incidents.