Vietnam to mandate real‑time driver monitoring and tighter vehicle inspection rules

The Ministry of Public Security is drafting a decree that would require all road‑transport vehicles to transmit real‑time images from journey recorders and cabin‑cameras to a central server and directly to the traffic police data centre. The system is intended to automatically detect hazardous driver behaviour such as drowsiness, phone use, smoking, failure to wear seatbelts, or speeding, and to enable rapid police intervention. Officials note that in 2025 Vietnam recorded 18,447 road accidents, causing 10,379 deaths and 12,282 injuries, with commercial transport vehicles involved in 37 % of crashes and accounting for over 40 % of fatalities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Construction is consulting on a new draft national technical standard to tighten vehicle registration (đăng kiểm) requirements, effective 1 July 2026. The draft expands the list of serious faults that will cause a vehicle to fail inspection, including incorrect licence‑plate placement, insufficient oil or coolant levels, excessive vehicle weight, missing emergency‑escape hammers, and windshields with light transmission below 45 %. Certain aftermarket accessories such as spoilers or modified exhausts must also meet technical conditions. The proposals aim to improve road safety and bring Vietnam’s vehicle‑monitoring infrastructure in line with practices in more advanced road‑transport systems.