In Hanoi, crossing the street can be a dangerous proposition. Despite the high marks that Vietnamese motorists receive for driving etiquette in the absence of formal traffic rules, (clearly evidenced by the ability of the pedestrian in this video to weave in and out of countless motorbikes) traffic safety is a major public health concern in Vietnam.

A recent article in the Malaysian Sun presents the grim figures:

Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Vietnam, with an average of 36 people killed each day on the roads as the country’s new prosperity leads to greater numbers of motorbikes and cars.

Last year, some 13,000 people died on Vietnam’s roads, railways and waterways. Safety advocates say that the number of deaths could be cut if more motorbike drivers wore helmets.

Only three per cent now wear helmets even though motorbikes account for up to 90 percent of vehicles on the roads, according to the Asian Injury Prevention Foundation.

Click here to read a post by Lee Schipper, a fellow contributor at TheCityFix, who had the opportunity to ride a two-wheeler in Hanoi. And click here to see a movie to the one above about motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City.

Share This

In Ho Chi Minh City, over 2 million bikes navigate the streets, creating the ebbs and flows in this city’s tide of traffic. All throughout Vietnam the motorbike is the essence of personal mobility, forming the backbone of the national economy by allowing people and goods to move about readily. But as the video shows, Vietnam’s streets are becoming overrun with them, creating a traffic nightmare and a miasma of smog that sits over the cities. And yet this hasn’t stopped the bikers who commonly wear masks to limit their exposure to health threatening pollutants.

Lee Schipper, a fellow contributor here at TheCityFix, has had the opportunity to ride one of them in Hanoi, a smaller, less chaotic version of Ho Chi Minh City. Here’s what he had to say.

For some really amazing photographs of motorbikes in Vietnam, check out Hans Kemp’s book, Bikes of Burden.

Share This