Tài liệu TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS docx

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may
encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information
below concerning Vietnam is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate
in a particular location or circumstance.
Traffic in Vietnam is chaotic. Traffic accidents occur frequently and the most common victims are
motorbike riders and pedestrians. At least 30 people die each day from transportation-related
injuries and many more are injured, often with traumatic head injuries. Traffic accident injuries are
the leading cause of death, severe injury, and emergency evacuation of foreigners in Vietnam.
Traffic accidents, including those involving a pedestrian and a motorized vehicle, are the single
greatest health and safety risk U.S. citizens will face in Vietnam.
Traffic moves on the right, although drivers frequently cross to the left to pass or turn, and
motorcycles and bicycles often travel (illegally) against the flow of traffic. Horns are used
constantly, often for no apparent reason. Streets in major cities are choked with motorcycles,
cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and cyclos. Outside the cities, livestock compete with
vehicles for road space. Sudden stops by motorcycles and bicycles make driving a particular
hazard. Nationwide, drivers do not follow basic traffic principles, vehicles do not yield right of way,
and there is little adherence to traffic laws or enforcement by traffic police.
The number of traffic lights in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is increasing, but red lights are often
not obeyed. Most Vietnamese ride motorcycles; often an entire family rides on one
Road conditions are poor nationwide. Numerous tragic accidents have occurred due to poor road
conditions that resulted in landslides, and U.S. citizen travelers have lost their lives in this way.
Travelers should exercise extra caution in the countryside, as road conditions are particularly
poor in rural areas.
Driving at night is especially dangerous and drivers should exercise extreme caution. Roads are
poorly lit, and there are few road signs. Buses and trucks often travel at high speed with bright
lights that are rarely dimmed. Some motor vehicles may not use lights at all, vehicles of all types
often stop in the road without any illumination, and livestock are likely to be encountered.
Motorcyclists and bicyclists are strongly urged to wear helmets. Passengers in cars or taxis
should use seatbelts when available, but should be aware that Vietnamese vehicles often are not
equipped with working seatbelts. A law mandating the use of motorcycle helmets on all roads
went into effect on December 15, 2007, and is strictly enforced Child car seats are not available

in Vietnam.
Penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or causing an accident resulting in injury or
death can include fines, confiscation of driving permits or imprisonment. U.S. citizens involved in
traffic accidents have been barred from leaving Vietnam before paying compensation (often
determined arbitrarily) for property damage or injuries.
Emergency roadside help is theoretically available nationwide by dialing 113 for police, 114 for
fire brigade and 115 for an ambulance. Efficiency of these services is well below U.S. standards,
however, and locating a public telephone is often difficult or impossible. Trauma care is not widely
available.
The urban speed limit ranges from 30 to 40 km/h. The rural speed limit ranges from 40 to 60
km/h. Both speed limits are routinely ignored. Pedestrians should be careful, as sidewalks are
extremely congested and uneven, and drivers of bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles
routinely ignore traffic signals and traffic flows, and even drive on sidewalks. For safety,
pedestrians should look carefully in both directions before crossing streets, even when using a
marked crosswalk with a green "walk" light illuminated.


International driving permits and U.S. drivers' licenses are not valid in Vietnam. Foreigners
renting vehicles risk prosecution and/or imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license
endorsed for the appropriate vehicle. U.S. citizens who wish to drive in Vietnam should contact
any office of the Provincial Public Transportation Service of the Vietnamese Department of
Communications and Transport to obtain a Vietnamese driver's license. The U.S. Embassy in
Hanoi and Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City cannot assist U.S. citizens in obtaining
Vietnamese driver's permits or notarize U.S. drivers' licenses for use in Vietnam.
Most Vietnamese travel within Vietnam by long-distance bus or train. Both are slow, and safety
conditions do not approach U.S. standards. Local buses and taxis are available in some areas,
particularly in the larger cities. Safety standards vary widely depending on the individual company
operating the service, but are generally much lower than what would be found in the U.S.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.

CIM ON SITE. ONE PERSON CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
By bus through Hanoi

The context Rapid increases in the traffic in Viet Nam’s cities is resulting in greater noise
pollution and more accidents.
Objective The construction of an urban transit system in the capital, Hanoi, is to
considerably reduce the amount of traffic on Vietnamese streets.
CIM assignment A German traffic engineer is supporting Hanoi’s traffic authority in
making public transport more appealing. City buses are planned, with lower prices for
monthly tickets and regular schedules posted at each bus stop.
Hanoi is the only capital city in Asia with no urban skyline. Typical of the city are,
instead, its picturesque old city, broad avenues and lakes. The trick is to preserve this
idyllic setting while managing traffic more effectively. In Hanoi more than two million
people live in a very small area. There are relatively few automobiles, but the number of
mopeds and bicycles tearing through the streets is on the rise. The rapidly increasing
traffic has also increased noise pollution and accidents. Walter Molt advises the Hanoi
Transport Management and Operation Centre on improving the organisation of local
public transport. In his daily work he does all he can to give people new insights into
what the possibilities might be. To demonstrate alternatives to cities that cater to cars, he
has invited leading managers at the traffic control authority to take study tours in Europe
and examine at first hand cities that go in for buses, trains or bicycles instead of cars.
“You can only make changes in an atmosphere of trust,” believes Molt, who has
apparently succeeded in winning the trust of his employer. The new additions to Hanoi’s


streets are there for all to see. Today, city residents take the bus much more often than
they used to: public transport companies now carry 600,000 passengers a day: a dramatic
rise from the 34,000 per day in 1990. Molt himself has inspired a number of
improvements. The transport fleet has been refurbished and there are more buses now per

line. Schedules have been posted at bus stops and low-priced monthly tickets have been
issued. Now the World Bank has made a loan available for construction of a bus-plusrapid-transit system in the city. Not only that, the city of Hannover would like in future,
in partnership with Paris Ỵle-de-France, to contribute to improving environmental
conditions and technical standards for Hanoi’s buses.

Maneuvering Through Opportunities & Traffic
in Vietnam
July 16, 2009 by meetjohnsong

Ho Chi Minh City traffic
I hold on tightly behind my brother as he deftly maneuvers his scooter through the
seemingly chaotic traffic of Ho Chi Minh City.
At first, watching hordes of cars and scooters sharing the streets and avoiding each other
without apparent defined rules can be both astonishing and terrifying. But from the back
seat of Paul’s scooter, I soon begin to understand certain rules and reasoning behind the
commuters’ actions. The traffic, as it turns out, moves along rather well, despite the
congestion of the city.
Doing business in Vietnam works in similar ways. The rules and expectations are
different than in the US. People seem to be coming at you from all directions, but then a
pattern starts to develop.
Vietnam is a developing country. Its people have a relatively high education level. The
country also has a disproportionally high number of young people under the age of 30


compared to developed countries. The government is very stable. Compared to its
Southeast Asian neighbors, I’ve also noticed that the Vietnamese culture has more
elements of the Chinese work ethic like those in the Far East countries.
In addition, Vietnam is a handsome country, with a long, beautiful coastline. Vietnamese
food is fabulous, gaining popularity throughout the world. With a population of around
82 million, Vietnam could someday become an economic pillar in Southeast Asia.

For now, though, Vietnam remains a developing economy, and the labor extremely
cheap. Get a haircut, and you can have one person cutting your hair, while two others will
manicure your finger nails. I played golf, and frustrated with a bunker shot, I raked my
own mess. My caddy (and you have to have a caddy) thanked me profusely, embarrassed
that she didn’t move fast enough to take the rake away from me. People are everywhere
to serve you. It can be humbling, yet charming.
For the right type of business idea, Vietnam represents tremendous opportunities. Some
entrepreneurs have already built technical development teams here to service the West’s
appetite for off-shoring those components. International marketing and research firms
have established operations here to help foreign brands move into the Vietnamese
market. To support new innovations, venture funds are now being established here with
both foreign and local money.
Nonetheless, many more foreign ventures will fail here than succeed. It is not easy to
manuever through the local business and cultural environment. The risk remains
extremely high. Like Paul steering us through the traffic, any company that has a fighting
chance of success here needs the guidance and support of someone(s) who already
understands the business climate and culture in Vietnam.
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Posted in business, entrepreneur | Tagged entrepreneur, Ho Chi Minh City, Paul Song,
start-up, Vietnam, Vietnam business | 3 Comments

3 Responses
1. on July 27, 2009 at 3:04 pm | Reply

charles

john~
interesting observations. i have traveled throughout se asia extensively, and i
would agree that these are the most diligent & brightest workers outside the big 3
in asia (ie, china, japan & korea).
and again as you rightly pointed out they have the most attractive demographics.
70% below 30, and 2/3 below 25! always an important ingredient in a successful
economy.
however, the bottleneck- is clearly the education system. bright young students
who want to learn have nowhere to go. the harvard foundation is there full-time
working with the gov’t to try and improve the education system. unfortunately,
you will see all the bright college kids have already started their own businesses.
school does not satisfy these kids. i met a very interesting search engine start-up
and they learned to code straight from english texts they studied themselves~ talk
about entrepreneurial spirit!
well, lately with the crash of the stock & r.e. estate markets, and continued fears
of dng de-valuation, is this the right time to invest~? another million dollar

question~

2. on July 27, 2009 at 3:15 pm | Reply

meetjohnsong

Charles,
Very interesting insights on the limiting educational system there. I guess
developments there will have to be monitored moving forward.
I think there are two ways to invest in Vietnam. Traditionally, people think of
developing business for the Vietnamese market. The other would be to leverage
the natural resources (including labor) for rendering services, solutions or
products for other markets. The later, I think, is less risky than the former.
Thanks for your comment.
John


3. on July 27, 2009 at 10:52 pm | Reply

charles

you may be surprised to know korea is the leading FDI (foreign direct investor) in
vietnam. they have created many export mfg ops, and are the leading sellers of
white goods and culture (hallyu wave~).
having said that, i think the biggest resource to harvest eventually will be its smart
young people. we can already see the internet taking off in a big way, despite lack
of PCs and crappy networks. what, 80+million folks..
anyway, the best way to invest…buy the land across the river from
downtown..near the airport. this is considered far out of town today… all i can say
is.. Remember Kangnam!

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Brainstorming Session No.9
Road traffic safety in Vietnam
August 23, 2006
On 23-8-2006, Mr. Tetsuji Masujima (ALMEC), a transport expert with more than 10 years of experience in
VN, was invited to present traffic safety situation Vietnam. Contents of the presentation include basic data
on traffic accidents, problems and issues of traffic safety in Vietnam, government efforts and assistance of
international organization to reduce traffic accidents.
Vietnam?s road safety has deteriorated over the past decade. According to the statistics from National
Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), road traffic accidents made up 97% of the total number of accident
fatalities last year. Per 10,000 vehicles there was an official fatality rate of 8.3 persons or fatality rate of 1.4
per 10,000 people, making Viet Nam?s roads the one of the most dangerous in Asean countries. In 2005,
the major causes of road traffic accidents are road user?s errors, unsafe vehicle conditions and roads and
bridges condition and other. Road user?s errors includes in Vietnam include speeding, dangerous
overtaking, drunk driving, poor road observation, misuse of lanes and pedestrian, making up 66.4% of the
total number of sample accidents. Unsafe vehicle conditions, roads and bridges conditions and others
made up 0.7%, 0.2 % and 28.5% of the total number of road accidents respectively.
Road traffic accidents in Vietnam has a clear pattern in all geographic regions, with the leading contribution
of motorcycle (71.4% in 2001), followed by automobile (22.5% in 2001). Between the regions, urban areas


like Hanoi and Hochiminh city, there are high rates of injury as well as more motorcycles involved in traffic
accidents. In Hochiminh city, motor vehicle drivers caused 92.88% of total number of traffic accidents in
2001. In national highways, the percentages of traffic accidents caused by motorcycles and automobile are
57.2% and 36.6% on highway number 3; 4.1% and 95.3% on highway number 5; 52.9% and 45.6% on
highway number 3 and 58.2% and 39% on highway number 18. Speeding and reckless driving are the
main causes of traffic accidents on national highways.
There is a trend of decreasing the number of accidents in the past four years since 2002. According to Mr.

Tetsuji Masujima, this is partly due to traffic safety enforcement, roads improvements but largely due to the
change of reporting system in which only serious accidents have been recorded by policy. There is a
discrepancy between traffic accident data provided by NTSC and other sources and limitations in the
information collected. Reports are not always compiled for each crash, those that are completed often
missing key information, and only severe cases are reported. In addition, data is collected within a short
period of time after the accident and. It doesn't provide therefore, details of the longer term implications of
the accident, which might be important in terms of health effects.
The ability of the goverment to analyze the real situation of traffic accidents and to develop effective road
safety program is limited by the poor data on traffic accidents. Existing data are considered to be unreliable
and incomplete, so that causes of traffic accidents are difficult to identify.
Recently, Vietnam has received a lot of assistances from international organizations. Worldbank has
sponsored Vietnam Road Safety Project that aim to strengthen the capacity, resources, and skills of
relevant agencies, including the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Ministries of Transport, Public
Security, Health and Education and Training. This project focuses on supporting the development and
implementation of implementation of comprehensive, integrated safety programs like black spot section
improvement program and accident monitoring and evaluation program along three high-risk national road
corridors: Highway 1 between Ha Noi and Vinh (281 km) and HCM City and Can Tho City (151 km), and
Highway 51 between Dong Nai Province and Vung Tau (80km).
While recent JBIC financed projects focus on traffic safety improvements in the south, JICA?s sponsored
projects are mostly in the North. JBIC financed project focuses on comprehensive traffic safety measures
on national highway number 3,5,10 and 18. JICA?s sponsored projects includes a development survey on
human resource development on traffic safety, a study on traffic accidents for model area in Hanoi,
preparing and broadcasting of traffic safety TV drama and Hanoi traffic safety improvement project.
Mr. Tetsuji Masujima also suggested that it is necessary for Vietnam to develop an efficient and
comprehensive traffic safety system ( as a whole) with coordination between the concerned international
organizations in order to provide a safer highway system.
[by Ngo Duc Anh]
[Home] [JWG Home] [Top]

Is this the craziest traffic in the world?

With one of the world's highest population densities and over 4 million motorbikes,
Saigon has what is quite possibly the craziest traffic in the world!
Traffic is becoming a real concern in Saigon and congestion has increased sharply
with the influx of new cars since Vietnam's accession to the WTO with frequent
reports in the papers such as Thanh Nien, and complaints about the deterioration in


air quality. Hundreds of thousands of cars have already been introduced to the city,
jamming up the narrow city streets.
Just under 2% of Saigon's surface area is made up of roads - whereas cities of
equivalent size such as New York, Paris and London devote between 15 and 20% of
their area to roads, giving a lot more space for residents vehicles. Even Bangkok,
which is reknowned throughout the region for its severe gridlock devotes 5% of city
space to roads.
The rapid increase in car ownership could become a real problem for Saigon if
improvements to public transport and other alternatives are not realised in time, yet
the recent rise in oil prices has hit the public's pockets hard, and many people have
stopped driving motorbikes in favour of bicycles - both pedal powered and electric,
which are said to be up to ten times cheaper to run than a motorbike.
There has also been a noted increase in the number of people opting to travel on
buses, but current bus routes do not cover all areas of the city leaving some without
the option of taking the bus. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, and
how the new developments of the East West Highway and Thu Thiem tunnel alter
the flow of traffic in the city.
The Vietnam Innovation Day (VID) 2007, co-organized by the National Transport Safety Committee
(NTSC), the World Bank, and Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, is a "mini marketplace" for innovative ideas
that address local development challenges. Its co-sponsors are AusAID, Danish Embassy, Department for
International Development (UK), New Zealand AID, SDC and Vietnam Airlines.
It identifies and directly supports small, bottom-up, innovative development proposals that deliver results,
which can then be expanded or replicated. It creates opportunities for local innovators to meet, exchange

ideas, share information and network with other people responding to the same concerns. The theme for
2007 program is “Traffic Safety ” with five sub-themes:
1. Enforcement of traffic regulations: This sub-theme will support initiatives that empower
communities to undertake activities that will make it easier to reinforce traffic regulations and
improve compliance.
2. Education and Awareness raising: This sub-theme will support initiatives to empower
communities to undertake activities aiming at changing unsafe behavior, effective education on
traffic rules and safety measures.
3. Better emergency services/responses: This sub-theme will support initiatives addressing the
inadequacy in materials, equipment, and training for emergency medical support and services.
Proposed projects could provide first-aid knowledge, skills and equipment for the communities both
in urban and rural areas.
4. Reducing pollution and accidents caused by vehicles: This sub-theme will support initiatives
aim at reducing pollution and accidents caused by traffic by measures to reduce vehicle emissions,
reduce defective vehicles and increase use of public transportation.
5. Improvement in traffic environment and road design: This sub-theme will support initiatives and
creative ideas to improve the environment, including waning signs, layout, marking...

HANOI - Drink driving, inadequate use of safety gear and lack of
proper infrastructure combine to make for very hazardous roads


in Vietnam, where motorbike accidents continue to be a major
killer.
Vietnam's rapid motorisation, which has increased together with
economic growth, has taken a dangerous turn over the years.
Although Vietnam's General Statistics Office (GSO) reports a
recent improvement in the casualties from road accidents, an
average of 12,000 people still die from road accidents yearly.
Many say though that the actual death toll is 30 percent higher.

From 500,000 vehicles in 1990, there are now about 30 million
motorbikes in this South-east Asian country. These make up over
90 percent of all vehicles on the roads.
”Ten years ago, you hardly saw a car, now there are so many.
The roads are so crowded,” 38-year-old Vu Thi Long, a fruit seller
at Hanoi's Long Bien market, said. ”There are a lot of accidents.”
On Mar. 13, a bus carrying Russian tourists tumbled over a cliff
on its way from coastal Phan Thiet to the mountainous holiday
town of Dalat in Vietnam's central region. Eight Russians and two
Vietnamese died on the spot, while two other Russians died while
being treated in the hospital.
Such accidents, which made local and international news,
account for only one third of Vietnam's daily road toll of 35,
although conservative government estimates put this figure at
between 28 and 32. Traffic accidents, 80 percent of which are
motorbike-related, are the biggest killers of people aged 18 to 45
in Vietnam.
Government statistics, however, show there might be some
improvement in this trend. They show that as of 2008, there has
been a significant drop of up to 12.5 percent in the road casualty
toll, perhaps owing to various road safety campaigns initiated by
both the private and government sectors.


According to statistics from the capital's Viet Duc Hospital,
alcohol is involved in over 60 percent of vehicular crashes.
Ninety-three percent of people involved in these accidents were
reportedly driving after drinking. Men account for 82 percent of
these accidents.
The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations-NGO Resource

Centre, a group of international non-government organisations,
quoted Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung as saying at a Mar. 24
conference here that alcohol consumption causes 10 percent of
traffic accidents in Vietnam.
Called a meeting on 'Alcoholic Beverages and Traffic Accidents'',
the conference aimed to educate traffic officials about the new
law on wearing protective helmets and the consequences of
driving under the influence of alcohol. The event was held with
the participation of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Global
Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the National Traffic Safety
Committee (NTSC).
Vietnam's Helmet Law or Government Decree No. 32, which took
effect in December 2007, requires everyone riding a motorbike,
including passengers and children, to wear a helmet. Failure to
comply means a fine of 150,000 dong (8.40 U.S. dollars).
Dr Dong Van He, a neurosurgeon at Viet Duc Hospital, said that
there were attempts to enforce similar helmet ordinances in 1995
and 2001 but both failed due to lack of political will. ”I wore a
helmet from 1996. Only three of us (at the hospital) did back
then,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to enforce the Road
Traffic Law on Jul. 1, 2009, which states that motorbike and car
drivers' Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level must not go beyond
0.05 percent and zero percent, respectively.


”I recommend a BAC of zero percent but it's really difficult,” Col
Nguyen Anh Dung of the Hanoi Road and Railway Traffic Police
told the March conference. ”I also recommend no drinking among
police during working hours.”

Studies show that 83 percent of Vietnamese are unaware of what
the current legal BAC level (0.08 percent) should be. In
conducting a survey around drunk driving at the Saint Paul and
Viet Duc hospitals, the National Economics University's Nguyen
Thi Thieng noted the ”very poor understanding” about BAC
levels. Among policymakers, there is a ”high understanding but
poor application”.
NTSC chair Than Van Thanh asserted that infrastructure plays
only a small part in most road accidents. ”Accidents are mainly
caused by (the lack of) awareness and the manner in which
people take part in transportation every day,” he told IPS in a
phone interview.
Long-time Vietnam resident Greig Craft, president of the Asia
Injury Prevention Foundation, attributes 90 percent of accidents
to human error. ”(The rate of) motorisation is out of control and
with that you have associated problems. There's a lack of
infrastructure and experience,” said Craft, who has seen
motorbikes replace bicycles in the country's streets almost
overnight.
Others, however, are not so sure.
U.S. travel writer Adam Bray, who has lived in Phan Thiet for five
years, had been in a motorbike accident himself near the site of
the March bus crash. ”(The road) is too steep and the curves are
too tight. There are too many potholes,” he said.
”Road crashes don't just 'happen' and they have determinants
that can be controlled,” explained Jonathan Passmore of the road
safety and injury prevention division of the WHO.


But without education and awareness, no road system will be

entirely safe. ”The biggest problem is how to raise people's
awareness of laws, and of safety in transportation,” said Thanh.
Craft adds that if there is one good thing that can come out of the
current financial crisis, it may well be a decrease in the death toll
from road accidents. ”This economic crisis may help. It'll slow
down motorisation,” he said.
By Helen Clark - Inter Press Service - April 2, 2009