'Installing surveillance cameras on personal vehicles is not mandatory'

Installing dashcams in personal cars is not mandatory, but authorities encourage drivers to provide data in the event of an incident, according to the Traffic Police Department.

In the fourth draft of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Public Security , Article 33 stipulates that motor vehicles and specialized vehicles participating in traffic must have a vehicle tracking device; a device for collecting data and images of the driver, and data and images ensuring safe journeys as prescribed.

Therefore, private vehicle owners will have to install a vehicle tracking device that records the vehicle's location and speed, and integrates an in-car camera to record the driver in the cockpit and capture traffic outside the vehicle.

Responding to VnExpress regarding the reasons for proposing the above regulation, a representative from the Traffic Police Department explained that many private vehicle owners currently equip their vehicles with dashcams to record images and incidents occurring on the road. Based on this reality, in the fourth draft of the law, the Ministry of Public Security proposed that private cars be equipped with dashcams.

"However, this is not mandatory; authorities only encourage people to install dashcams on their personal cars to protect themselves in traffic safety situations," a representative from the Traffic Police Department said, adding that with a dashcam, drivers can prove right and wrong in unexpected situations on the road. Vehicle owners can also record evidence when their vehicle is vandalized, providing it to authorities for processing, contributing to "protecting their own health and safety, and the safety of others, and ensuring traffic safety."

"Authorities do not collect data from vehicle tracking devices; they only request citizens' cooperation in providing it when incidents occur on the road or when they record incidents involving other vehicles," a representative from the Traffic Police Department said.

Installing vehicle tracking devices on transport vehicles. Photo: BA GPS — Installing vehicle tracking devices on transport vehicles. Photo: *BA GPS*

Previously, some experts expressed concerns that the mandatory regulations in the draft Law on Traffic Safety and Order would be costly and infringe on privacy rights.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, analyzed that current vehicle tracking devices integrated with cameras, in addition to serving state management (monitoring speed, vehicle routes, driving time), also benefit transport businesses. Businesses can track the number of kilometers driven, thereby determining the timing of periodic maintenance, managing fuel consumption, setting tire replacement quotas, calculating driver salaries, etc.

However, Mr. Quyen argued that "people will wonder why their personal vehicle travel is being tracked or why private actions inside the car are being recorded by cameras." Furthermore, an integrated camera and vehicle tracking system is estimated to cost between 2 and 4 million VND. With nearly 4 million private cars nationwide, the cost of equipping them could reach thousands of billions of VND.

According to traffic expert Nguyen Van Thanh, currently only passenger or cargo vehicles (tractor-trailers, container trucks) are required to install in-car cameras to monitor drivers. This regulation aims to track whether drivers are falling asleep at the wheel and whether they are driving within the prescribed time limits. However, these vehicles carry many people and goods, requiring the highest level of safety. Regarding private cars, Mr. Thanh believes the government should only encourage drivers to install monitoring devices and voluntarily disclose images and data when requested by authorities.

The draft Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety will be submitted to the National Assembly at its 6th session in October 2023.

Doan Loan - Gia Chinh

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