Late on the evening of March 18th, under the highway lights that stretched through the night, officers of Team 6 began their all-night patrol shift.
The driver stopped the car to sleep and attend to personal needs.
The patrol team, consisting of Lieutenant Colonel Do Ngoc Linh, Captain Ha Hai Son, Captain Nguyen Van Huy, and Lieutenant Bui Van Quyen (mobile police), began their patrol shift on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway.
This stretch of road, over 460km from Ho Chi Minh City to Van Phong ( Khanh Hoa ), only has approximately 150km with continuous emergency lanes. The remaining 300km consists of scattered stops spaced 4-5km apart, posing significant safety risks if drivers do not comply with regulations.
Recently, on these stretches of road, many drivers have been arbitrarily stopping their vehicles to sleep, rest, or attend to personal needs. Serious accidents have occurred as a result, such as the accident on March 14th on the Cam Lam - Vinh Hao expressway that killed two people.
On the evening of March 18th, the patrol team began moving along the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway. At 8:45 PM, the team spotted a truck stopped on the access road before the TTC rest stop near the intersection with National Highway 28 (also known as the Ma Lam intersection, Lam Dong province) on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway.
Upon inspection, driver Pham The Phong (35 years old, residing in Khanh Hoa province) stated that the vehicle's gearbox was broken and it could not continue driving. The driver proactively placed warning signs about 150 meters behind the vehicle and had people stand outside the guardrail.
"I know that you're only allowed to stop in the emergency lane if your vehicle breaks down or you're sick; if you're sleepy or need to use the restroom, you have to get off the highway or go to a rest stop," driver Phong said.
Captain Ha Hai Son directed the mobile police to implement a safety plan, placing warning signs on the rear of the patrol vehicle to provide assistance in case of vehicle breakdown or unavoidable stoppage on the highway, and simultaneously contacting rescue units.
After only about 10 minutes, a crane arrived and quickly removed Phong's truck from the highway, clearing the scene.
Patrol until morning.
At 9:25 PM, the patrol team spotted a container truck stopped in the emergency lane near the Ma Lam intersection. After knocking on the cabin door for a few minutes, the driver woke up and explained, "I was too tired, so I pulled over to take a nap."
The driver, identified as Soái (63 years old, residing in Hanoi ), explained that he was tired and needed to stop for a short rest. Captain Sơn clarified to Soái that the vehicle had just passed a rest stop about 8km away and an interchange 5km away, so Mr. Soái could have left the highway to rest or go to a rest stop.
"The highway is not a place to stop and rest. If you're sleepy, you have to go to a rest stop or get off the highway," Captain Son explained to the driver.
Driver Soái was issued a citation for "parking on the highway in an unauthorized location" and will be fined 12-14 million VND and have 6 points deducted from his driver's license.
After midnight, traffic on the highway decreases, but it's also the time when many drivers are sleepy and lose concentration. The task force continuously patrols. "Sometimes we drive hundreds of kilometers without anything happening. But if even one situation arises, we have to handle it immediately," Captain Son said.
Around 2 a.m., a light mist began to settle, the air grew colder, and the voices of the officers became more subdued, but the work continued until dawn. No one mentioned fatigue, but everyone understood that a shift like this required both physical and mental endurance.
Recently, the Traffic Police Department deployed mobile, undercover vehicles on many highways. These vehicles are equipped with video recording devices that can detect and record violations such as illegal parking, speeding, driving in the wrong lane, changing lanes without signaling, etc.
According to Decree 168/2024, stopping or parking illegally on a highway can result in a fine of 12-14 million VND and the deduction of 6 points from your driver's license.
However, the real issue is not just the fine, but the level of danger. At 90 km/h, even a single unexpected situation can lead to a serious collision.
In the first quarter of 2026, Team 6 handled 67 cases of illegal stopping and parking on the highway; 262 cases of stopping and parking in areas with "no stopping and parking" signs; and 20 cases of driving in the emergency lane... The team issued over 1,700 traffic violation notices for speeding and other offenses.
