Circular No. 91/2015/TT-BGTVT stipulates the maximum speed and safe distance between vehicles when participating in road traffic.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on speed and safe distance for motor vehicles and special-purpose motorcycles participating in road traffic

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On the basis of Decree No. 86/2012/NĐ-CP dated October 19, 2012, issued by the Government detailing and guiding implementation of certain provisions of the Metrology Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 107/2012/NĐ-CP dated December 20, 2012 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

At the proposal of the Director of the Infrastructure Structure Department and the General Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration,

The Minister of Transport issues this Circular regulating speed limits and safe distances for motor vehicles participating in road traffic on roads.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the speed and distance requirements for motor vehicles and special-purpose motorcycles when participating in road traffic, except for priority vehicles performing tasks as prescribed by law.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to drivers of motor vehicles, operators of special-purpose motorcycles, agencies, organizations, and individuals related to the management and implementation of regulations on speed and safe distance for motor vehicles and special-purpose motorcycles when participating in road traffic.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Urban area roads are sections of roads located within city centers, town centers, and sections with residential areas adjacent to the road where activities may affect road traffic safety and are marked with signs indicating passage through densely populated areas (if necessary, this can be determined separately for each direction of travel).

For sections within city centers and town centers: Based on the degree of urbanization and population density along the road, signs indicating "Start of Densely Populated Area" (Sign No. 420) and "End of Densely Populated Area" (Sign No. 421) should be placed at appropriate positions entering and exiting urban areas (signs should not be placed according to administrative boundaries if the area has not been urbanized or has sparse population); Sign No. 420 is effective for all roads within urban areas until the position of Sign No. 421 is reached.

For sections outside city centers and town centers: A section is considered to pass through a densely populated area if it is at least 500 meters long, with direct access points from houses to the road having an average width of 6 meters or less; the average distance between house access points is less than 10 meters.

2. Motor vehicles includes passenger cars; tractors; trailers or semi-trailers pulled by passenger cars or tractors; two-wheeled motorcycles; three-wheeled motorcycles; motorbikes (including electric motorcycles) and similar types of vehicles.

3. Special-purpose vehicles are vehicles designed and equipped to perform specific functions, including: Road sweeping vehicles; waste collection vehicles; concrete mixer trucks; ready-mix concrete trucks; concrete pump trucks; crane trucks; lift trucks; drilling trucks; traffic rescue vehicles; other special-purpose vehicles such as mobile television trucks, mobile wave measurement trucks, bridge inspection and maintenance trucks, underground cable inspection trucks, X-ray imaging trucks, and mobile surgical units.

4. Specialized motor vehicles includes construction motorcycles, agricultural and forestry motorcycles, and other special-purpose vehicles used for defense and security purposes that participate in road traffic.

5. Median strip is a part of the road that vehicles do not run on, used to divide the road surface into two separate lanes for opposite directions of travel (main forms include curb strips, concrete median barriers, corrugated steel guardrails, or reserved earth strips).

6. Dual carriageway is a road where the incoming and outgoing directions are separated by a median strip.

7. One-way street is a road designated for travel in one direction only.

8. Two-way street is a road where both incoming and outgoing directions share the same lane without being separated by a median strip.

9. Payload is the permissible load capacity of goods as determined by the Certificate of Technical Safety Inspection and Environmental Protection for Motor Vehicles.

Article 4. General Principles for Controlling Speed and Distance When Operating Vehicles on Roadways

1. When participating in traffic on roadways (excluding expressways), including branches leading to expressways, operators of vehicles must strictly comply with regulations regarding speed and the minimum safe distance between two vehicles (of the same type of motor vehicle and special-purpose motorcycles) indicated on road signs; at sections of road without such regulatory signs, operators must follow the provisions set forth in this Circular.

Specifically, the speed and minimum safe distance for special-purpose motorcycles, motorcycles (including electric motorcycles) and similar types of vehicles shall only be governed by the provisions stipulated in Articles 8 and 12 of this Circular.

2. When participating in traffic on expressways, for motor vehicles and special-purpose motorcycles permitted to enter expressways according to the Road Traffic Law, operators of vehicles on expressways must strictly adhere to the regulations concerning speed and the minimum safe distance as specified in Articles 9 and 12 of this Circular.

3. Operators of vehicles participating in traffic on roadways must control their vehicles to run at speeds appropriate to the conditions of bridges, roads, traffic density, terrain, weather, and other influencing factors to ensure traffic safety.

Article 5. Situations where speed reduction is required

Operators of vehicles participating in traffic on roadways must reduce their speed below the maximum allowable speed (to a level where they can safely stop) in the following situations:

1. There are warning signs of danger or obstacles on the road.

2. Changing lanes or visibility is limited.

3. At intersections at the same level; intersections at the same level with railways; roundabouts; winding roads with hills and slopes; sections of road with uneven surfaces.

4. Crossing narrow bridges or culverts; approaching the top of a hill, descending a hill.

5. In areas near schools, hospitals, bus stations, public works with many people; densely populated areas, factories, offices along the road; construction sites on the road; scenes of traffic accidents.

6. When pedestrians or disabled persons' wheelchairs cross the road.

7. Livestock is present on the road or grazing near it.

8. To avoid oncoming traffic or when allowing a trailing vehicle to pass.

9. Approaching a bus stop or passenger boarding/alighting point.

10. Encountering priority vehicles performing duties; encountering oversized, overweight vehicles, dangerous cargo vehicles; encountering groups of pedestrians.

11. Rainy weather; fog, smoke, dust; slippery, muddy roads, covered with loose soil, gravel, and dust.

12. When operating vehicles through areas with weight control checkpoints, traffic police stations, toll booths.

Chapter II

MAXIMUM SPEED OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND SPECIAL-PURPOSE MOTORCYCLES PARTICIPATING IN ROAD TRAFFIC

Article 6. Maximum Allowable Speed for Motor Vehicles on Roadways (excluding expressways) in Urban Areas

Article 7. Maximum permissible speed for motor vehicles on roads (excluding expressways) outside densely populated areas

Article 8. Maximum permissible speed for special purpose motorcycles, motorbikes (including electric motorcycles), and similar vehicles on roads (excluding expressways)

For specialized motorcycles, motorbikes (including electric motorcycles) and similar types of vehicles when participating in traffic, the maximum speed shall be determined according to road signs and must not exceed 40 km/h.

Article 9. Speed limits for motor vehicles and special purpose motorcycles on expressways

When participating in traffic on expressways, drivers of motor vehicles and specialized motorcycles must comply with the maximum and minimum speeds indicated on road signs.

The maximum permissible operating speed on expressways must not exceed 120 km/h.

Article 10. Installation of speed signs and signs indicating densely populated areas

1. The installation of speed signs shall be carried out in accordance with current laws on road signs and must take into account the actual conditions of the section or route of the road to ensure suitability.

2. On branches leading to and from expressways, if warning signs or speed limit signs are installed, the speed value indicated on these signs must not be less than 50 km/h.

3. The installation of "Start of densely populated area" and "End of densely populated area" signs shall be carried out in accordance with current laws on road signs and must take into account the actual population density on both sides of the road. Signs indicating densely populated areas shall not be installed on sections that have not been urbanized, sparsely populated, and where visibility is not restricted.

During operation, the road management unit is responsible for monitoring and promptly adjusting and supplementing the above signs to align with actual conditions and current regulations.

Chapter III

DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES (OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND SPECIALIZED VEHICLES) WHEN PARTICIPATING IN TRAFFIC ON ROADS

Article 11. Maintaining the minimum safe distance between two vehicles

When driving a vehicle on a road, the driver or operator of a specialized motorcycle must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle immediately ahead; at locations with a sign indicating the "Minimum distance between two vehicles," the distance must not be less than the value indicated on the sign.

Article 12. Safe distance between two vehicles when participating in traffic on roads

1. When the road surface is dry, the safe distance corresponding to each speed is defined as follows:

When driving a vehicle at a speed of 60 km/h or less in urban areas or densely populated areas, the driver must proactively maintain a safe distance appropriate to the vehicle immediately ahead; this distance depends on the density of vehicles and actual traffic conditions to ensure safety.

2. In rainy weather, fog, slippery road surfaces, winding terrain, or hilly roads, the driver must adjust the safe distance appropriately larger than the safe distance indicated on the sign or as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 13. Responsibilities of road management agencies

1. The Vietnam Highway Administration is responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular.

2. The Vietnam Highway Administration, Road Management Bureau, Department of Transport, People's Committee of districts, People's Committee of communes are responsible for regularly inspecting and installing relevant road signs related to speed, safe distance between two vehicles, and signs indicating "Start of densely populated area" and "End of densely populated area" in accordance with the law.

Article 14. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from March 1, 2016, and replaces Circular No. 13/2009/TT-BGTVT dated July 17, 2009, issued by the Minister of Transport regarding the speed and distance of motor vehicles and specialized motorcycles participating in road traffic.

Article 15. Implementation Organization

1. The Director of the Ministry's Office, the Inspector General of the Ministry, the Heads of Departments, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, the Director of the Vietnam Highway Administration, the Directors of the Departments of Transport, the Heads of agencies, organizations, and individuals concerned are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The Vietnam Highway Administration organizes inspections of the installation of speed limit signs and signs indicating densely populated areas.

3. During the implementation process, if any difficulties arise, agencies, units, and individuals must promptly report them to the Vietnam Highway Administration for consolidation and proposal to the Ministry of Transport for consideration and resolution./