In Vietnam, where motorcycles make up 90 percent of all vehicles on the road, the country has made significant progress in recent years in raising safety awareness, improving infrastructure and reducing traffic casualties.
Vietnam, a country of 100 million people, has nearly 74 million motorcycles on the road. Experts believe the country needs to continue to improve road safety and reduce motorcycle-related fatalities.
Angela Pratt, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Vietnam, made the remarks at an international seminar on motorcycle safety best practices and challenges in Hanoi on Monday.
The two-day seminar was jointly organized by the Vietnam Transport Development Strategy Institute (TDSI) and the World Health Organization and other relevant organizations. The meeting is also seen as one of the important preparations for the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Morocco at the end of February next year.
Pratt stressed that the international community should work together to develop solutions to prevent the risks of traffic accidents, rather than viewing them as inevitable events.
Data shows that nine out of ten motor vehicles on Vietnam’s roads are motorcycles. Through measures such as improving policies, raising awareness, and upgrading infrastructure, the country has reduced traffic accident deaths by more than 40% between 2010 and 2021.
WHO has been working closely with countries such as Vietnam to ensure motorcycle safety, especially for children who ride their parents’ motorcycles to school every day. The organization hopes to further strengthen its cooperation with Vietnamese departments to assist in the implementation of the Road Traffic Order and Safety Law and the Road Law, which will come into effect on January 1, 2025.
Dr. Pham Viet Hung, President of TDSI, pointed out at the meeting that motorcycle safety is not only a problem for countries such as Vietnam or India where motorcycles are the main means of transportation, but also a global issue.
In developing countries, motorcycles are not only a means of personal transportation, but also an important tool for business, production and cargo transportation. However, the convenience and popularity of motorcycles also bring major challenges to traffic safety, which seriously affects the lives of people and economic development in many countries.
Motorcycle accidents account for two-thirds of all road traffic accidents in Vietnam, a situation that requires more comprehensive and resolute measures to protect motorcyclists and reduce related casualties.
Vietnam has implemented a number of policies and programs, such as mandatory wearing of helmets, monitoring of drivers’ blood alcohol concentration, improving road infrastructure, and raising public safety awareness, and has achieved positive results.
Chen Youming, director of the National Traffic Safety Committee Office, pointed out that there are still many issues that need to be improved in traffic safety regulations. One of the key issues is the 16-18 year old youth group. Although they can legally drive motorcycles under 50cc, they often lack traffic safety knowledge and driving skills.
In addition to strengthening driver’s license training and examinations, Chen Youming added that it is necessary to strictly enforce the mandatory wearing of helmets by children. Currently, there are no specific standards for helmets for children under the age of 6, and there are no clear penalties for children of this age group riding motorcycles without helmets.
In addition, despite the implementation of a motorcycle registration system, the number of motorcycles on the road is actually lower than the registered number. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, about 75% of registered motorcycles are not in use due to reasons such as being transferred to other areas or being dismantled and sold for parts. Therefore, the existing registration data does not truly reflect the actual number of motorcycles on the road.
In addition, although motorcycle standards have been established, the safety level of motorcycles in Vietnam is relatively low. These vehicles are currently not subject to mandatory technical safety inspections, resulting in some old and unsafe motorcycles still in use.
Inadequate urban planning and transportation infrastructure have also led to excessive reliance on motorcycles for short trips that could have been completed on foot or by bicycle.
Chen Youming finally emphasized: “In future traffic safety planning, motorcycle safety challenges and solutions should be listed as key work content.”
