MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT | SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM |
No. 91/2015/TT-BGTVT | Hanoi, December 31, 2015 |
CIRCULAR
SPEED LIMITS AND SAFE DRIVING DISTANCES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES ON PUBLIC ROADS
Pursuant to the Law on Road traffic dated November 13, 2008;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 107/2012/NĐ-CP dated December 20, 2012 defining the functions, tasks, entitlements and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;
At the request of the Director of Department of Transport Infrastructure and director of Directorate for Roads of Vietnam,
The Minister of Transport promulgates a Circular on speed limits and safe driving distances for motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on public roads.
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Scope
This Circular provides for speed limits and safe driving distances for motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on public roads.
Article 2. Regulated entities
This Circular applies to operators of motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles, organizations and individuals relevant to management and implementation of regulations on speed limits and safe driving distances for motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on public roads.
Article 3. Definitions
For the purpose of this Circular, the terms below are construed as follows:
1. “roads in densely populated area” are roads in a populated urban area where people are living on the sides of the roads and might affect road safety, and are indicated by a sign (one for each side if necessary).
Sign No. 420 “Bắt đầu khu đông dân cư” (“start of densely populated area”) and the Sign No. 421 “Hết khu đông dân cư” (“end of densely populated area”) will be placed at the ends of the densely populated area instead of the administrative boundary of the urban area (in case it is not densely populated); Sign No. 420 applies to every road in the densely populated area until Sign No. 421.
A road segment outside an urban area will be considered a road in a densely populated area if it is at least 500 m in length, the average length of pathways to houses is 6 m or shorter and the average distance between the pathways is shorter than 10 m.
2. “motor vehicles” include cars, tractors, trailers or semi-trailers towed by car or tractor, two-wheeled or three-wheeled motorbikes, electric motorbikes and similar vehicles.
3. “specialized vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is designed for a specific purpose, such as: road sweeper, vacuum truck, cement mixer truck, concrete pump truck, crane truck, ladder truck, drill truck, tow truck, other specialized vehicles for TV production, bridge inspection and maintenance, underground cable inspection, radiography, mobile surgery.
4. “heavy-duty vehicles” include vehicles serving construction, agriculture, forestry and other vehicles specialized for national defense and security purposes that can be used on public roads.
5. “median divider” means the part of the road on which vehicles are not allowed to run and that divides the road into two opposite directions (examples: curb, concrete divider, steel divider, median strip).
6. “dual carriageway” means a road that has a divider for traffic in opposite directions.
7. “one-way road” means a road for traffic in a single direction.
8. “Two-way single carriageway” means a road for traffic in opposite directions within a single carriageway (without a divider).
9. “payload capacity” means the maximum payload a vehicle may carry according to its certificate of inspection.
Article 4. General rules for speed limits and safe driving distances
1. Operators vehicles on public roads (except expressways), including entrance ramps and exit ramps of expressways, shall comply with speed limits and safe driving distances indicated by road signs, and regulations on this Circular where such road signs are not available.
Operators of heavy-duty vehicles, mopeds (including electric bikes) and similar vehicles shall comply with the speed limits and safe driving distances specified in Article 8 and Article 12 of this Circular.
2. Operators of motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on expressways (provided the vehicles are permitted on expressways) shall comply with the speed limits and safe driving distances specified in Article 9 and Article 12 of this Circular.
3. The speed of a vehicle should be appropriate for the condition of the bridge, road, traffic density, terrain, weather and other elements in order to ensure safety.
Article 5. When to slow down
The vehicle operator must decrease the speed below the speed limit (that allows the vehicle to stop safely) when:
1. There is a warning sign or obstacle on the road.
2. The vehicle is changing its direction or the vision is limited.
3. Entering an intersection or level crossing; running on a curved, winding, steep or bumpy road.
4. Crossing a narrow bridge or tunnel; approaching the top of a slope; going down a slope.
5. Near a school, hospital, bus station, or in a densely populated area, an area with many factories and office buildings; near a road construction site or an accident scene.
6. A pedestrian or a person on wheelchair is seen crossing the road.
7. Animals are seen on or close to the road.
8. Avoiding incoming traffic or allowing a vehicle to overtake.
9. Near a bus station or bus stop where passengers are embarking/disembarking.
10. An emergency vehicle, oversize or overweight vehicle, a vehicle carrying dangerous cargo or a group of pedestrians is seen on the road.
11. There is rain, fog, smoke, dust; the road surface is slippery or muddy; there is rubble or sand on the road.
12. Going through a weight station, police checkpoint or toll booth.
Chapter II
SPEED LIMITS AND SAFE DRIVING DISTANCES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES ON PUBLIC ROADS
Article 6. Speed limits in densely populated areas (except expressways).
Type of vehicle | Speed limit (km/h) | Speed limit (km/h) | ||
| Dual carriageway; one-way road with at least 2 lanes | Two-way single carriageway; one-way road with 1 lane |
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All vehicles except those in Article 8 of this Circular. | 60 | 50 |
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Article 7. Speed limits outside densely populated areas (except expressways)
Type of vehicle | Speed limit (km/h) | Speed limit (km/h) | ||
| Dual carriageway; one-way road with at least 2 lanes | Two-way single carriageway; one-way road with 1 lane |
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Sedans, motor vehicles for transport of up to 30 people (except buses); trucks with payload capacity of up to 3,5 tonnes. | 90 | 80 |
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Motor vehicles for transport of more than 30 people (except buses); trucks with payload capacity of more than 3,5 tonnes. | 80 | 70 |
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Buses; tractors towing a semi-trailer; specialized vehicles; motorbikes. | 70 | 60 |
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Motor vehicles towing a trailer; motor vehicles towing other vehicles | 60 | 50 |
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Article 8. Speed limits for heavy-duty vehicles, mopeds (including electric bikes) and similar vehicles on public roads (except expressways)
Speed limits for heavy-duty vehicles, mopeds (including electric bikes) and similar vehicles on public roads shall be indicated by road signs and shall not exceed 40 km/h.
Article 9. Speed limits for motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on expressways
Operators of motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on expressways shall comply with speed limits and safe driving distances indicated by road signs.
Maximum permissible speed on an expressway shall not exceed 120 km/h.
Article 10. Placement of speed limit signs and signs for densely populated areas
1. Speed limit signs shall be placed in accordance with effective regulations of law on road signs and in a manner that is suitable for the actual road segments.
2. The speed limit on warning signs at entrance ramps and exit ramps of expressways shall not be smaller than 50 km/h.
3. Sign No. 420 and 421 shall be placed in accordance with effective regulations of law on road signs and in a manner that is suitable for the population on the sides of the roads in the area. These signs shall not be placed in areas that are yet to be densely populated or where vision is not limited.
The road management unit shall change or add these signs according to reality and effective laws.
Chapter III
SAFE DRIVING DISTANCES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES ON PUBLIC ROADS
Article 11. Keeping safe driving distances
Operators of motor vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles on public roads shall keep a safe driving distance from the vehicle ahead; the safe driving distance shall be at least the distance on the safe driving distance sign (if any).
Article 12. Safe driving distances
1. For dry roads:
Speed (km/h) | Safe driving distance (m) |
>60 | 35 |
80 | 55 |
100 | 70 |
120 | 100 |
While running under 60 km/h in an urban area or densely populated area, the operator shall maintain a safe distance to the vehicle ahead depending on the traffic density at that time.
2. When there is a rain or fog, or the road is slippery, steep or winding, the operator shall maintain a greater distance than that written on the sign or the table in Clause 1 of this Article.
Chapter IV
IMPLEMENTATION
Article 13. Responsibilities of the road authorities
1. Directorate for Roads of Vietnam shall organize the implementation of this Circular.
2. Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, Road Management Authority, Departments of Transport and the People’s Committees of provinces shall regularly inspect and install speed limit signs, safe distance signs and signs indicating the start and end of densely populated areas.
Article 14. Effect
This Circular comes into force from March 01, 2016 and supersedes Circular No. 13/2009/TT-BGTVT dated July 17, 2009.
Article 15. Organization of implementation
1. Chief of the Ministry Office, the Ministerial Chief Inspector, Presidents of the People’s Committees of provinces, director of Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, Directors of Departments of Transport, heads of relevant organizations and relevant individuals are responsible for implementation of this Circular.
2. Directorate for Roads of Vietnam shall inspect installation of speed limit signs and signs for densely populated areas.
3. Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this Circular should be reported to Directorate for Roads of Vietnam for consideration./.
| MINISTER |
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