ZERO Blood Alcohol Allowed While Driving

    I can't find any of the various threads where this topic has been discussed, but foreigners often broach the subject by saying that, certainly they can get away with one or two beers and still be allowed to drive here.

This thread, maybe? Also, here.

With Grab being so very inexpensive and so very accessible, I see no reason to not support a zero tolerance legislation.

    I can't find any of the various threads where this topic has been discussed, but foreigners often broach the subject by saying that, certainly they can get away with one or two beers and still be allowed to drive here.
The national Assembly has made it absolutely clear that there is a nationwide zero tolerance policy regarding blood alcohol levels while driving.

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1658279/na-approves-zero-tolerance-policy-for-driving-under-the-influence-of-alcohol.html-@OceanBeach92107

(hope I used the quote button correctly this time...)

You mentioned "foreigners thinking they can get away", whether it's drunk driving or even just driving without a legal VN drivers license, I can't stand those folks. Actually, I even feel sad for them, hope their luck doesn't run out! If it does, well then there's zero sympathy to expect from my side!

Foreigners, with their big pockets, compared to the average local citizen, should feel it is a duty to firstly behave in a respectful and decent manner, but moreover, serve as a good example.

Of course, I have also paid a copper 200K to let me go. Sometimes for doing nothing wrong, other times to get away, while "guilty as charge". I admit that over the course of 30 years, I've had my fair share of driving home experiences, after a long eve with several of those "one for the road" ones.

To be honest, while that's long in the past, I would still consider myself capable of driving after 1 or 2 beers or glasses of wine. However, since they implemented these new rules, I strictly follow it and not just take a taxi or grab to the and back home from a dinner, if I plan to have a few cold ones, I even use a taxi the next morning to go to work. Not because of being worried to get pulled over for alcohol test, but in case of ending up or getting involved in an accident!

That said, while it's already quite a while back (twice in all, 1x before Tet and 1x in 2013), when the first started with enforcing this new law, I ran into two MASSIVE roadblock checkpoints.

The first time was on a weekday around 8.00PM, just around the corner when you come from Ton Duc Thang and turn right on to Nguyen Huu Canh. They had the entire 3 or 4 lanes blocked off at the first red light and they set up "hunter units" who chased down anyone trying to turn around! EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE/DRIVER was checked, including me. I had nothing to worry as I was on the way back from work and after blowing, plus showing drivers license, vehicle registration AND ALSO insurance (!!!), they waved me through. I saw several Vietnamese having their bikes loaded onto trucks, including one foreigner, guess he had no papers, perhaps was also under influence, who knows.

Anyway, that was not a check point to hunt and collect money from foreigners. Anyone caught up there had no way to bribe their way out, GAME OVER! It was impossible because there were simply too many cops and people (witnesses) and the media was also on site!

A similar occasion also took place during a normal weekday, again around the same time heading home from work. That one was set up right before the Saigon bridge on the Binh Thanh side on Dien Bien Phu on the way out of town, in direction D.2. There, they didn't stop everyone, but randomly selected maybe every third for inspection and alcohol test.

I haven't seen any of those MEGA actions recently, but every now and then, you do see them in smaller units pulling over one or the other "suspect".

But not just that has changed. They're now setting up more and more radar traps, cameras and mobile units, which are not only dealing with cars like they mostly used to be, now they're going after motorbikes too! An expat mate of mine, married to a Vietnamese, ran a red light in D7 near where he lives and within an hour or two, they actually showed up at his home, showed him the video footage and after checking if he had a drivers license, which he had, they handed him a 1.2mil VND fine for speeding and running a red light.

The times are over when you could behave like a wild zombie and buy your way out with a laughable 200-500K or the dumber ones with a million VND. Anyone thinking otherwise is living behind the moon or is obviously blind, because even most locals are more than well aware, just look at all those places which used to be jam packed to the brim and now all stay empty even on weekends!

Heineken, recently, even had to shut down their brewery up in Danang, all due to decreased sales as a result of this new law!

Bottom line, while I personally would prefer a slightly different policy, like in most other countries, I do understand that it might be the best in the case of Vietnam. Even without drinking, with the way how people drive and the existing traffic condition is by itself already a high risk hazard situation!

Therefore, I have nothing to complain against implementing a ZERO tolerance policy.

Speaking about foreigner, anyone violating against the laws and regulation, should be punished, those with severe or repeated violations, jailed, then deported and banned from returning. 

In Newfoundland the saying is, "One for the ditch"

One of those posts was mine. Just to clarify I dont think I asked because I wanted to drive around drunk. I asked because I couldnt find the law and as an american not knowing the law in vietnam and only hearing rumors I just wanted to confirm. The main reason I asked was because my first time hearing about the zero tolerance was from my wife's family and to be honest they say a lot of stuff that may or may not be true lol. They also live in a town where the police make their own rules and even the locals get blindsided by the police all the time. They told me stories of people that got drinking tickets for eating fruit that had been a little too ripe or cold medicine that contained small amounts of alcohol which I just thought must be a story but yeah I guess I found out its 100% true. I never drink and drive. I get a grab if I want to have a night out.