Hanoi's AI traffic cameras flag over 4,000 violations in one week

On Monday, the Hanoi Traffic Police Department said thousands of traffic violations have been detected across the city each week, with many of them identified by AI-powered cameras.

According to the latest statistics, from September 17 to 23, Hanoi traffic police handled 8,456 traffic violations, impounded 1,847 vehicles, revoked 60 driver's licenses, and deducted points from 1,208 licenses.

The offenses included 1,448 alcohol-related cases, 208 instances of carrying cargo beyond weight limits or illegally modifying vehicle cargo beds, 78 cases of oversized cargo, and 49 cases involving self-manufactured or assembled vehicles. 

Authorities also cited 672 traffic violations involving students, with total fines estimated at VND573.7 million (US$21,800).

Notably, the AI camera system detected 4,007 traffic violations and sent notifications for fines to the offenders.

The violations recorded by the system mainly included driving in the wrong direction, with 2,130 cases, followed by failing to wear helmets with 1,390 cases and disobeying traffic signals with 162 cases.

Hanoi began deploying a large-scale AI camera system in late 2025, replacing its traditional monitoring reliance on patrol forces and standard cameras with 1,837 cameras across 195 intersections and 25 major routes. By mid-2026, the city's traffic surveillance network had expanded to over 2,400 cameras, including more than 1,100 equipped with violation detection capabilities.

The latest figure represents a significant increase compared with the early days of the AI camera system. 

When the system first began operating, it detected 393 violations in its first three days, averaging 131 cases a day. In the first six months of 2026, the cameras detected more than 33,100 violations, an average of about 183 cases a day. 

By comparison, the system recorded 4,007 violations in just one week from September 17 to 23, equivalent to 572 cases a day, more than three times the six-month daily average and over four times the rate recorded during its first three days of operation.

The increased use of technology in monitoring and detecting violations is expected to improve the effectiveness of efforts to maintain traffic order and safety, while encouraging road users to comply with traffic laws.

The Hanoi Traffic Police Department said it will continue to step up patrols and inspections and strictly handle traffic violations in the coming period.

In July, Hanoi police inaugurated the second phase of its command and information center and installed a system of cameras for traffic monitoring, command and management. During this phase, authorities installed an additional 2,460 AI cameras, bringing the total number of AI cameras across Hanoi to nearly 5,000.