How severe is the penalty for honking 'indiscriminately' while driving?

Many people driving cars and motorbikes on the road have the habit of honking their horns "indiscriminately". Whether intentional or not, honking your horn in the wrong place can result in a heavy fine from the traffic police.

Nowadays, it is not difficult to see many people driving cars and motorbikes using their horns indiscriminately in the city, not only during the day but also at night, causing disorder and making people around them uncomfortable.

Honking indiscriminately is not only prohibited but also uncivilized when driving. Illustrative photo

According to Article 8 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, prohibited acts include "honking and revving the engine continuously; honking between 10pm and 5am, honking the air horn, and using high beams in urban areas and densely populated areas".

Thus, people participating in traffic by car, motorbike and similar vehicles are not allowed to honk continuously anywhere and at any time; are not allowed to use the car horn between 10pm and 5am or use the air horn at any time when traveling in urban areas or densely populated areas.

When in urban areas or on roads marked R.420 - "densely populated areas", drivers are not allowed to use air horns or honk from 10pm to 5am.

Honking in the wrong place is not only an uncultured behavior but can also be severely punished by traffic police according to the provisions of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP (Decree 100) on administrative sanctions in the field of road and railway traffic (amended and supplemented by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP).

Specifically, for cars and similar vehicles, using the horn in violation of regulations will be punished according to Article 5, Decree 100 as follows:

- Fine from 300,000 to 400,000 VND for honking in urban areas and densely populated areas from 10:00 p.m. the previous day to 5:00 a.m. the following day; honking in areas where there are signs prohibiting the use of horns except for priority vehicles as prescribed;

- Fine from 800,000 to 1 million VND for continuous honking; honking in urban areas, densely populated areas, except for priority vehicles on duty as prescribed.

Honking in the wrong place can result in traffic police stopping the vehicle and penalizing the driver according to Decree 100. Photo: Hoang Hiep

For motorbikes and scooters, using the horn in violation of regulations is also severely punished according to Article 6, Decree 100 as follows:

- A fine of 100,000-200,000 VND shall be imposed on drivers who honk their horns from 10:00 p.m. the previous day to 5:00 a.m. the following day in urban areas or densely populated areas; honk in areas where the use of horns is prohibited, except for priority vehicles on duty as prescribed;

- If the driver honks continuously in urban areas or densely populated areas, he/she will be fined from 400,000 to 600,000 VND.

It can be seen that although the law and penalties for honking the horn in the wrong place have been in place for a long time, in reality, violators are rarely stopped and fined for this violation.

Many opinions say that functional forces such as traffic police need to step up patrols, detect and strictly punish those who drive on the road but honk indiscriminately, causing disgust and anger to people, especially at night.

Source link: https://baonghean.vn/bam-coi-vo-toi-va-khi-lai-xe-bi-phat-nang-nhu-the-nao-post268197.html