From 2026, traffic police will only handle violations if image or video evidence is available, a move to enhance transparency in law enforcement.
Major General Do Thanh Binh, Director of the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, has instructed traffic police nationwide to step up measures to ensure order and safety. A key requirement is the mandatory use of cameras for evidence when checking and handling violations.
Accordingly, police officers stopping vehicles must use body cameras or ensure cameras are installed to record the entire process of inspection and handling. All image data must be stored in line with regulations.
Police may also stop vehicles when receiving hotline reports of violations, during large-scale inspections, or when handling specific issues such as overloading, overcrowding, drink-driving, and drug use.
Notably, officers tasked with traffic regulation and control at intersections will not be allowed to stop vehicles to examine or handle violations, and their responsibility will be limited to directing and guiding traffic flow. After peak hours, patrol teams may record violations during their shifts and later verify and handle them. If certain intersections or areas see complex or repeated violations, separate teams will be deployed for enforcement.
The Traffic Police Department also announced plans to make public information on traffic stops, patrol deployment, and camera use during checks. In the coming time, the department will also begin rolling out these measures on expressways.
It is expected that from the start of 2026, penalties for traffic violations on roads, railways, and waterways will only be issued if there is image or electronic evidence, or if the violation has been directly recorded by official technical equipment.
