Heavy fines for motorcycle drivers without insurance

Drivers who carry out-of-date vehicle insurance will face hefty fines as of the beginning of March.

The fine for motorbike drivers is VND100,000 (US$5.88) and car owners VND500,000 ($29.41) for each violation.

One-year motorbike insurance is usually worth about VND55,000 ($3.23) and the cost of car insurance is value-dependent.

Motorbike owner Nguyen Xuan Phuong, 24, from Ha Noi, said he got his bike insured for a year when he first bought the bike because he was told insurance was part of the registration process.

"I’ve had the bike for three years and I’ve never renewed the insurance. I’ve heard getting compensation after an accident is really complicated."

Le Nguyen on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, also from Ha Noi, said he had to insure his car because it was worth VND500 million ($29,4111).

"I had to get insurance in case I have an accident. If anything happens, I will get compensation," he said.

When accidents do happen, insurance companies are responsible for co-operating with the owners of vehicles and the police to collect information to decide on compensation, said Phung Dac Loc, general secretary of the Viet Nam Insurance Association.

Information sought

For their part, police have to provide insurance firms with enough information, according to an inter-ministerial circular from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Public Security.

The Finance Ministry’s Insurance Management Department is responsible for supervising and inspecting insurance companies to prevent compensation fraud.

A draft helmet law for children is to be laid out on July 1, Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung said on Thursday.

The minister was speaking at the Child Helmet Wearing Campaign Launch.

The campaign, organised with support from the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) and the National Transportation Safety, aims to boost the number of children wearing helmets on the road.

The Minister said the law was very important for child safety.

"Stipulations on age, and fines for adults who drive with children who are not wearing a helmet will be laid out in the revised traffic law from July 1," he said.

Chairman of the AIP Greig Craft said he was worried as only 15-30 per cent of kids on the road wore helmets. He said quality-controlled helmets did not impede children’s growth.

Source:http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn

Police target scrap metal thieves Special unit set up to deal with growing problem which costs £360m a year

A pilot specialist police unit has been set up to tackle the problem of scrap metal theft, which has increased by about 150% in the last two years and cost the country around £360m, the Home Office said today.

Lead from church roofs, copper railway signs and iron manhole covers are some of the items that can be melted down and sold on. Last July 47 organ pipes were stolen from Leaveland church in Faversham, Kent.

Other items that have been stolen include war memorial plaques, road signs and Henry Moore sculptures.

Alan Campbell, the Home Office minister for crime reduction, said: "Metal theft is a serious problem with consequences for business and infrastructure, from damaged electricity and telephone cables to leaking church roofs. Metal theft has even caused power cuts and closed rail lines."

The Home Office said metal theft also forced up council taxes and insurance premiums. David Bonehill, from the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, said: "2008 was the worst year ever for metal theft from churches. Thefts devastate important religious buildings, but they also cause irreparable damage to our heritage and disrupt vital community activities.

"We've been working hard for over two years to give churches the power to protect themselves. We must remain vigilant if we want to protect our churches, schools and heritage properties for the future."

The National Metal Theft Crime Unit, which will be run jointly by the British Transport Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers, will initially run until the end of March and may then be rolled out nationwide. Officers from the unit will also give guidance to forces around the country on how to tackle the problem.

Assistant chief constable Paul Crowther, of the British Transport Police and Acpo's specialist on metal theft, said he welcomed the unit. "Police forces have devoted considerable resources to driving down this type of crime, including intelligence-led operations, proactive patrols using dogs and off-road motorbikes, and scrap yard visits. We hope this approach will enable us to make a real impact."

The unit will be jointly financed by the Home Office and the Energy Networks Association.

Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk