According to the proposed fourth draft of the Road Traffic Order, the Ministry of Public Security has recommended that all motor vehicles and specialized motorcycles participating in traffic must be equipped with a journey monitoring device, a data collection device, driver images, and data and images for travel safety purposes (dashcam). This means that not only commercial vehicles but also personal cars may be required to install dashcams.
Under the current regulations, which will be enforced starting from July 1, 2023, only commercial vehicles are required to install journey monitoring devices. Among them, only vehicles carrying passengers or heavy goods (tractors, containers) are required to install dashcams.
Proposal for personal cars to install dashcams similar to commercial vehicles (illustrative image)
The current regulations also mandate transportation companies to transmit data from journey monitoring devices and dashcams on their vehicles to the software system of the Vietnam Road Administration for state management purposes.
If the above proposal is approved and implemented as law, approximately 4 million personal cars in Vietnam will need to be equipped with journey monitoring devices. Furthermore, if the proposal is accepted, the Department of Transport, in collaboration with the Traffic Police, will share journey monitoring data to facilitate inspections, examinations, violation handling, and the imposition of fines.
According to representatives from the Traffic Management, Vehicle, and Driver Management Division (Vietnam Road Administration), the Department of Transport is facing challenges in managing ride-sharing, shared vehicles, and transportation vehicles. These vehicles often masquerade as personal cars, evade transportation business registration, and continue using regular license plates, making it difficult to oversee, inspect, and address violations…
Dashcams have now become a common device for car owners in Vietnam. Although there are no specific regulations regarding their usage, many car owners have voluntarily installed dashcams in their vehicles to monitor and record images during operation or while parked. However, the data recorded by dashcams is considered personal property, and car owners are currently not obligated to share it with others.