Citing the current situation of many vehicles driving slowly in lane 1 close to the median strip causing traffic conflicts, Dr. Dang Minh Tan said that it is necessary to study that trucks should only be allowed to drive in lane 2 or 3 on the highway.
At the 2023 Traffic Safety Conference on the morning of October 12, Dr. Dang Minh Tan presented some survey results of the University of Transport on the northern expressways including Phap Van - Cau Gie, Lang - Hoa Lac and Hanoi - Thai Nguyen.
The survey shows that most vehicles use the left lane (lane 1) and the middle lane (lane 2) on a 6-lane road, especially trucks also tend to choose these two lanes. On the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen expressway, 57% of trucks choose the left lane, while only 42% use the rightmost lane (lane 3); on the Lang - Hoa Lac and Phap Van - Cau Gie routes, 28% and 37% of trucks choose lane 3.
Vehicles traveling at speeds below 60 km/h account for a high proportion, especially many vehicles traveling at speeds below 40 km/h in lane 1, forcing other vehicles to pass on the right. "The research results show that cars and buses tend to travel at higher speeds than trucks, but many cars still travel at very low speeds in lane 1," said Mr. Tan.
Cars running on the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong highway. Photo: Hoang Nam
According to Mr. Tan, countries clearly define the lanes of vehicles on highways. Germany and most states in the US stipulate that vehicles stay in the right lane, the left lane is only used for overtaking, except in special cases such as traffic jams or accidents.
Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that nearly 80% of drivers in the United States "feel frustrated when slow-moving vehicles stick to the left lane and do not yield." This can lead to dangerous actions that cause traffic accidents.
In Vietnam, it is expected that by the end of 2023, the whole country will have 1,852 km of expressways put into operation. However, the sanctions for using expressway lanes for different types of vehicles are not complete and clear, according to the representative of the research team. Not only on expressways but also on many other routes, drivers want to occupy the left lane close to the median strip even when driving at very slow speeds, causing many conflicts with fast-moving vehicles asking to overtake, increasing the risk of traffic jams and accidents.
Therefore, the research team proposes to soon have management, technical solutions and sanctions for using expressway lanes, contributing to reducing traffic congestion and accidents. Specifically, with a 6-lane expressway, it is possible to study the option of trucks only being allowed to travel in lanes 2 and 3, while increasing signs to encourage slow-moving vehicles to choose the right lane and give way to overtaking vehicles.
The current Road Traffic Law does not specify lanes for each type of vehicle and the principles when vehicles are traveling at slow speeds on the highway, not giving way to vehicles that want to overtake. However, drivers must comply with regulations such as: not driving in the emergency lane and on the roadside, not driving at a speed exceeding the maximum speed and below the minimum speed indicated on signs and painted on the road surface.
Doan Loan
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