Cameras "run on rice" and people's awareness

In less than half a month, the authorities have consecutively issued fines for three traffic violations based on clips provided by passersby. This shows that the awareness of monitoring other people's behavior when participating in traffic is gradually becoming a habit. And this is also a warning for everyone to be much more aware when going out on the street to ensure not only their own safety but also that of others.

About 5 years ago, people's traffic culture was still at a rudimentary level. At that time, there were almost no solutions to monitor behavior on the road other than the naked eyes of traffic police during patrols.

Later, when the camera surveillance system was installed on the roads, the behavior of traffic participants had another means of monitoring. People's awareness was significantly raised, especially when passing through sections of road with cameras installed. However, the province's resources are limited, the camera system cannot cover all roads. Therefore, there is still a situation of "avoiding" cameras to avoid being fined or only being aware on sections of road with cameras, but when passing through sections without cameras, reckless driving, running red lights, and weaving occur again.

However, as technology develops rapidly, along with the influence of social networks, every citizen participating in traffic has become a mobile camera, or colloquially called a “rice-powered” camera. The special thing is that these rice-powered cameras can also make drivers who drive recklessly, weave in and out of traffic lights, sign an administrative penalty notice, no different from the cold-fine cameras of the authorities.

Citizens' monitoring of each other's implementation of civic responsibilities and law-abiding responsibilities is also a new step in establishing a fair and transparent society. In early April 2025, the Traffic Police Department of Quang Tri Province issued a fine to three teenagers in Huong Hoa District for not wearing helmets while participating in traffic. These three people were not detected by the traffic police patrol team, nor were they recorded by the camera system. This fine originated from a clip recorded by a car driver with a phone while traveling on National Highway 9.

The clip was then posted on Facebook by the car driver. From the images in the clip, the traffic police department immediately retrieved the vehicle registration data and invited the people involved to work. The three teenagers could not deny their images in the clip, admitted to the violation and signed the penalty notice with a total fine of more than one million VND for not wearing a helmet and carrying a person without a helmet while participating in traffic.

Or most recently, an incident that made public opinion extremely indignant when a group of 3 young men riding a motorbike carrying three people blocked the front of a Xanh SM taxi on Dai Co Viet Street (Dong Luong Ward, Dong Ha City). One of the three young men continuously threatened and used a helmet and sandals to smash the taxi. These images, which violated both traffic laws and social order laws, were recorded by the taxi driver sitting in the car using his phone. This clip was then posted on social networks. And just one day later, the group of 3 "tiger" young men were summoned to the ward police station to work.

In addition to the fine of 500,000 VND per person for not wearing a helmet while participating in traffic, the leader of this group of young people was also fined 2.5 million VND for insulting and provoking others. In addition, also from the images in the clip on social networks, the police agency determined that the motorbike this group used had a fake license plate. And this action was fined 5 million VND. The total fine for all the actions of this group was nearly 9 million VND.

Technology and social networks were not created to monitor society but to serve the development of society. However, technology is also contributing to social management every day, including traffic participation. The fact that each citizen uses technology and social networks to support the government in bringing social activities into order is a positive signal. This contributes to further raising people's awareness when participating in traffic. With today's technological society, not only traffic police or cameras impose fines, but also every behavior on the road is monitored by each citizen. At that time, each citizen must monitor themselves with every accelerator press, every turn of the lane light, or every gesture before the red light stop line.

Safety is the first and most important standard when participating in traffic. Safety will not only come from supervision but must come from the self-awareness of each person. With a weak and lacking traffic infrastructure system like our province, it is even more important and necessary for each person to raise their own awareness when participating in traffic.

Thien Phong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/camera-chay-bang-com-va-y-thuc-cua-nguoi-dan-192876.htm