Vietnam is taking an innovative approach to tackling road safety issues by enlisting the public’s help and offering financial rewards in return. Starting from January 1st, under Decree 176/2024, Vietnamese citizens and organizations can earn up to 5 million VND (around P12,000) for reporting verified traffic violations. This new policy aims to encourage public participation in improving the country’s notoriously chaotic traffic, and also hopes to cut down the number of accidents that happen every year.

The incentive system allows informants to claim up to 10% of the fine imposed for a reported violation. Informants are required to provide proper documentation, and their identities will remain confidential to ensure safety and privacy.

The introduction of rewards for informants coincides with significantly increased penalties for traffic violations under local Decree 168, which also came into effect on January 1. This new legislation raises fines dramatically across the board, targeting behaviors that contribute to accidents and endanger public safety. Some of the amounts you have to cough up for messing up are truly eye-watering.

For example, running a red light with your car can now costs you up to 20 million VND (P46,000), a sharp increase from the current maximum of 6 million VND (P14,000). Similarly, motorbike riders who violate traffic signals now face fines of up to 6 million VND (P14,000), up from 1 million VND (P2,300).

As if that wasn’t expensive enough, reckless behavior (such as zigzagging or speeding) now incurs even steeper fines. Car drivers engaging in these dangerous acts could be fined up to 50 million VND (P115,000), while motorcyclists face penalties of up to 10 million VND (P23,000). Other infractions, such as using mobile phones while driving or reversing on expressways, now also carry fines more than double their previous amounts.

But wait, there’s more!

The penalties for unsafe practices extend beyond reckless driving. For instance, opening car doors in a manner that causes accidents will result in fines of up to 22 million VND (P51,000), a staggering increase from the current maximum of 600,000 VND (P1,400). These elevated fines are intended to deter careless behavior that has long plagued Vietnam’s roads.

Setting fines for four- and two-wheelers on different levels is also an interesting approach in general, and reflects Vietnam’s long-standing love affair with motorbikes as means of day-to-day transportation. The government’s aggressive measures come in response to alarming road safety statistics. Between December 2023 and November 2024, Vietnam reported over 21,500 road accidents, resulting in nearly 10,000 deaths and 16,000 injuries. While fatalities decreased by 7.99% compared to the previous year, the number of accidents and injuries rose by 5.64% and 13.46%, respectively.

Compounding the problem is Vietnam’s rapidly growing vehicle population. With nearly 500,000 new cars and 2,000,000 new motorcycles hitting the roads annually, the country’s infrastructure is under immense pressure, making effective traffic management and law enforcement more critical than ever, but also extremely difficult to carry out.

By combining financial incentives for public reporting with harsher penalties for violations, Vietnam is taking a two-pronged approach to improving road safety. The reward system not only motivates citizens to actively participate in law enforcement, but also helps authorities identify and address violations more effectively. At the same time, the substantial increase in fines will hopefully serve as a deterrent, especially if drivers and riders know that it’s not only the traffic cops they have to worry about.

That, of course, now brings up the question if such an approach would also work in the Philippines? Imagine if—instead of just sending your dashcam video to us in the hope of exposing erring behavior—there was a government portal where you can upload your evidence and get a cut of any fines issued. It would be a sort of people-powered NCAP. It could even be expanded to include erring officials. Would this work, or would it be a hideous version of Big Brother?