Semi-trailer was caught speeding, traffic police refused to fine it

Reflection comes Tuoi Tre Online, Mr. N.D.T. (director, legal representative of a transportation enterprise in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City) said that at the end of March 2024, he took the semi-trailer with registration plate 51R – 262.xx for registration.

At the registration center, he was informed that his company’s semi-trailer was fined for speeding at 3:11 p.m. on September 12, 2023 at km1353 + 300m, National Highway 1 (Dong town area). Hoa, Phu Yen province), this is an area with a speed limit sign of 50km/h.

Can’t speeding tickets be issued for semi-trailers?

Mr. T. affirmed that from the time the violation occurred to the time the semi-trailer was registered, neither the business nor he personally received any notices related to traffic violations of this vehicle.

To be able to register the semi-trailer, Mr. T. went to the Traffic and Order Police Team of Go Vap District Police to pay the fine.

Here, Mr. T. received a transfer form from Tuy An Traffic Police Station (under the Traffic Police Department of Phu Yen Provincial Police), with the content of requesting the Traffic and Order Police Team of Go Vap District Police Resolve and handle according to legal regulations when vehicle owners, organizations, and individuals involved in violations come to the unit’s headquarters to resolve the case.

According to the transfer ticket, Mr. T.’s semi-trailer was running at a speed of 5km/h to under 10km/h.

According to regulations, the driver of this semi-trailer will be fined from 800,000 VND to 1 million VND, and will not have his driver’s license revoked.

However, the Traffic and Order Police Team of Go Vap District Police refused to resolve the matter and returned the file to Mr. T. on the grounds that the image did not clearly show the extent of the violation, requesting him to contact the Police Department. Traffic police of Phu Yen province for review.

Go Vap district traffic police explained to Mr. T. that the vehicle violating the speed was a tractor-trailer, but the traffic police shot the speed and recorded images of the semi-trailer behind. Semi-trailers are vehicles without engines, so they cannot travel at excessive speeds.

I want to pay the fine but it’s… cumbersome

Regarding the above issue, Colonel Thai Thanh Xuan – Head of Go Vap District Police – affirmed that the district’s traffic police force had followed their expertise and regulations.

According to Colonel Xuan, the semi-trailer has a different license plate than the tractor pulling it. To be fined, there must be a picture of the semi-trailer at the time of the speeding incident.

Therefore, Go Vap District Police have made a written request to the Traffic Police Department of Phu Yen Provincial Police to send full images to be able to impose a fine.

“The tractor is moving forward but there is only an image of the semi-trailer. How can you measure the speed of the tractor if you shoot the speed shot behind (the semi-trailer)?” – Colonel Xuan said.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Vo Hung Tuong – head of the Traffic Police Department of Phu Yen Provincial Police – said that the traffic police’s speed shooting of the semi-trailer behind the tractor was in accordance with regulations.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tuong, the purpose of the fine is to notify the vehicle owner to come up and the vehicle owner is responsible for providing who hired the driver on that day and at that hour. He said the penalty is to handle the violator, not the vehicle.

“Shooting the speed of a semi-trailer allows us to determine who is driving this vehicle and punish that driver.

The vehicle owner must determine on that date and time which driver drove the above trailer to provide it to the authorities for handling. In case the driver cannot be identified, the vehicle owner is responsible” – Lieutenant Colonel Tuong said.