Vietnam enforces helmet law on roads

HANOI (AFP) - In a bid to reduce Vietnam's alarming death toll on the roads, police have begun fining motorbike drivers not wearing helmets on highways and certain road sections across the country.
Last year more than 11,800 people were killed in traffic accidents in the communist nation, with over 70 per cent of them involving motorcycles, the principal form of transport here.

With a growing number of cars competing with an estimated 12 million motorbikes for limited road space, government action to prevent an escalation in the accident rate and the associated costs of treating victims became pressing.

Consequently, police began Sunday fining helmet-less motorcyclists around one dollar each. Nationwide, more than 3,000 people were stopped and fined. In Hanoi alone, the figure stood at over 410, police said Monday.

Two years ago the government ordered motorcyclists on highways and other key roads to wear helmets but due to weak enforcement the law was widely ignored.

Less than 10 per cent of motorcyclists in Vietnam wear helmets, the rest eschewing them for fashion or comfort reasons, according to Greig Craft, president of the Hanoi-based Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.

In a bid to tackle this traditional reluctance, the American non-governmental organisation has opened a factory in Vietnam producing lightweight, colourful helmets.

Last month over 60 international companies and organisations pledged to promote road safety awareness in Vietnam.

In the first six months of this year, 6,327 people died and 8,714 people were injured in 9,100 traffic accidents, according to official statistics

I've read last year, that Asia has only 16% of the world's motorization, and 64% of all the accidents!!!

helmets may help - but may also add to the confusion by impeding visual and audible judgment - though helmets will for sure protect your head

i think vn really needs to develop the routes of transportation, such as large multilane highways and roads so that traffic moves in one direction on each side as opposed to the no holds barred type present !!!

quoc lo 1 would be awesome if it was smooth, 8 lanes on each side (total 16) 4 for large trucks and quad wheeled vehicles, bus, etc and the other 4 are for mopeds

Lolz, its about freaken time. Seriously in Vietnam if you crash a motorbike then you are KO, yet alot of people don't wear motorbikes.
This will help reduce the death rate in traffic incident alot. :genius:

In Vietnam, most accidents happen in busy town areas. Vietnamese motobikers are not especially an example of the law-abiding citizens... Enforcement of the laws of late have made them less of their usual dangerous idiots.

When I was in Vietnam, I saw accidents all the time. Vietnam needs to have a code of law for traffic because it's just crazy and lawless on the roads.

Auto Insurance is also required in Vietnam andCambodia.

Hanoi is the worst out of all the north region.

We need more than just helmet.