Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa cracks down on foreign traffic violators

Authorities in Nha Trang have recently reported a rise in traffic violations involving foreigners riding motorcycles, including high-capacity bikes.

Common violations include riding without helmets, reckless weaving through traffic, and driving under the influence of alcohol, causing public disorder and fatal traffic accidents. 

Some foreigners have even resisted law enforcement officers.

Most recently, Nha Trang Ward Police detained a 35-year-old Russian national, Smoliakov Konstantin, for investigation on charges of violating road traffic regulations causing serious consequences.

After drinking alcohol, Konstantin drove a motorcycle and fatally struck a 70-year-old woman who was crossing Tran Phu Street at a crosswalk.

Police said his alcohol concentration was measured at 268.8 mg per 100 ml of blood, far exceeding Vietnam’s zero-tolerance alcohol limit for drivers.

Earlier, in August 2025, the Khanh Hoa Police prosecuted another Russian national, 19-year-old Khafizov Artur, on charges of resisting law enforcement officers.

After consuming alcohol, Artur rode a motorcycle home and collided with a 53-year-old woman on Tran Phu Street in Nha Trang.

Instead of cooperating with authorities after the accident, the young man resisted officers and punched a traffic police officer in the mouth, causing injuries.

Also in August 2025, public outrage erupted after a foreign man was seen speeding recklessly and weaving through traffic on some streets in Nha Trang.

After the incident spread widely on social media, the man quietly left Vietnam for China.

Traffic violations involving foreigners often occur in Nha Trang between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm on Pham Van Dong Street, Tran Phu Street, and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Dao Xuan Truong, chief of Nha Trang Ward Police, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that traffic and public security violations involving foreigners have become increasingly complicated over the past few months.

According to Truong, authorities are not only strictly handling violators but also considering tougher penalties, including criminal liability for businesses that rent motorcycles to foreigners who do not meet legal driving requirements.

He added that one of the most effective solutions is sharing Vietnamese traffic laws in online communities and social media groups used by foreigners.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Duc Thuan, deputy head of the Road Traffic Police Division under Khanh Hoa Police, said foreigners traveling in Nha Trang commonly commit violations such as driving without licenses, speeding, dangerous overtaking, and drunk driving.

The division has conducted inspections to identify businesses and individuals renting vehicles to foreigners and ask them to commit to verifying that customers meet legal requirements before rental.

“We have also deployed task forces on roads and in areas frequently used by foreigners in order to promptly detect and strictly handle violations,” Thuan said.

Tran Xuan Tay, chairman of the Nha Trang Ward People’s Committee, said the ward will remind vehicle rental businesses of their potential criminal liability if they allow unqualified foreigners to rent vehicles that later cause serious traffic accidents.

The ward will also organize inspections and require all car and motorcycle rental businesses to sign commitments to fully comply with Vietnamese laws governing vehicle rental services.

“Nha Trang will firmly impose administrative penalties or revoke business licenses of establishments that hand over vehicles to unqualified drivers,” Tay said.