Vietnam begins enforcing helmet law, motorcyclists comply but not without gripes

Just a day earlier, only a handful of riders were seen wearing helmets on the streets of Hanoi, but police were out in force on nearly every street corner Saturday to ensure the law was strictly enforced.

"This morning we fined only two motorcyclists," said police officer Nguyen Van Cai, who added that most Vietnamese would rather comply than pay the steep 150,000 dong (US$9.40) fine. "It will definitely help to reduce traffic fatalities."

Nearly 13,000 people were killed on Vietnam's roads last year_ one of the world's highest rates. Most accidents involve the ubiquitous motorbike, the country's main form of transportation. More than 20 million motorbikes cram Vietnam's busy streets daily, and every year about 2 million new bikes join the roads, along with a growing number of automobiles.

A similar helmet law was imposed in 2001, but failed to stick when angry riders protested.

Enforcement of the new law did not come without grumbling. Many argued that the bulky helmets, jokingly called "rice cookers," would be too hot, unfashionable and hard to carry.

"It's not necessary in the city. I think the risk of having an accident is very slim, and if you do have one, I don't think you will get hurt," complained motorbike taxi driver Tran Binh Minh, who now is forced to carry two helmets, one for himself and one for his passenger.

"In the summer the temperature goes up to 38 degrees (Celsius, or 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Can you imagine how people will deal with that?" he said.

For months, Vietnamese have been bombarded by public awareness campaigns to explain the need for the law. One television commercial showed grainy black-and-white footage of patients hospitalized with head injuries, some drooling in a vegetative state and others paralyzed or unable to feed themselves.

Vietnam's traffic fatality rate is about 27 per 100,000 - nearly double that in the United States - and is among the highest globally, according to the World Health Organization.

Vietnam's main helmet producer, run by U.S.-based nonprofit Protec, has been working 24 hours a day for three months to churn out 5,000 helmets daily.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email