Drivers lack road safety awareness

HCM CITY (VNS) — In the last three years, nearly 13,000 traffic accidents have occurred in HCM
City, killing 2,141 people and injuring 11,686, of which 80 per cent were caused by lack of driver
awareness about traffic laws.
"Traffic awareness of local people is too low," Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, deputy head of the municipal
Traffic Safety Committee, was quoted as saying in the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon)
newspaper at a three-year review meeting organised by the city's Party Committee late last week.
In the 2012-15 period, 2.4 million tickets were handed out for traffic violations, including 184,300 for
people who violated the speed limit, 117,000 for driving on a one-way street or running a red light,
79,000 for driving while drinking, 200,000 for driving without helmets and 28,300 for driving with
overloaded weight on motorbikes or vehicles.
Twenty per cent of accidents were caused by technical faults and poor infrastructure.
"The city has nearly 7.5 million personal vehicles, 1.5 times higher than three years ago and every
day, there are around 10 million vehicles, including those from outside the city, circulating in HCM
City," Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the municipal transport department, said.
Each year, the city has seen an average growth rate of 7 per cent for personal vehicles, but local
authorities haven't released policies to restrict the growth.
The seaport system within the city also contributes to traffic congestion.
"We have arranged hundreds of policemen to manage traffic around seaports but we can't control the
situation because it is too crowded," Colonel Tran Thanh Tra was quoted as saying in Tuoi Tre
(Youth).
Furthermore, the movement of industrial parks, factories, bus stations, hospitals, universities and ports
out of downtown have been delayed year after year, and roads have taken too long for construction.
"To solve these problems for infrastructure, during the 2015-20 period, the city needs VND255 trillion
(US$11 billion) for investment, but in fact, the State budget can provide only VND11 trillion ($500
million)," Cuong said.
He said there were three challenges for traffic construction, including site clearance and
compensation, capital and project management.
Cuong cited the example of the Rach Chiec Bridge. Thanks to quick ground clearance, investors could
save VND200 billion ($8.9 million).
Meanwhile, police have complained about a lack of equipment, and outdated equipment.
"Ten years ago, HCM City police had enough modern equipment but now, neighbouring provinces
have much better equipment," Tran Duc Tai, deputy director of the municipal Police Department, said.
He said the city should build a traffic control centre, which has been mentioned for a long time but has
not been completed.
"The centre would help manage traffic for the entire city as well as ensure order and security," he said.
However, there are only 300 connected-cameras for the entire city.
One of the most important works in the upcoming time is how to clear vendors and small traders on
the pavement.
"The city has around 15 million sq. m of pavement; if local authorities can set up order, it would help
the traffic situation a lot," Cuong added.
The lack of bus transport use among residents is another factor contributing to traffic congestion.
"Only 10 per cent of local residents choose the bus because the bus system is not convenient," he
added. — VNS

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VN to raise road safety awareness

HA NOI (VNS) — The slogan Don't Drink and Drive will be placed on 1,000 buses running in the
capital starting today to raise traffic safety awareness of passers-by and curb the number of accidents
in the country due to alcohol.
This action is part of the campaign Don't Drink and Drive which was launched on Saturday by Viet
Nam's National Traffic Safety Committee, the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Security and
the Viet Nam Association for Responsible Drinking (VARD).
Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam National Safety Traffic Committee said that the
campaign aimed to raise driver awareness of the danger of alcohol and the country's strict punishments
to those who do not respect the regulation on alcohol level.
The slogan will be displayed on the capital's 70 bus lines of Ha Noi Transport and Services
Corporation (Transerco) which operate from 5am to 10pm.
"It's the efficient way to communicate to the passers-by and passengers on the bus about the danger of
alcohol when they drink before driving," Hung said.
"After a one month trial in Ha Noi, we will suggest to the Viet Nam Car Transport Association to
place this slogan on buses nation-wide, so more passengers on the bus and passers-by can be aware of
the danger of alcohol for drivers," he said.
Hung also said that alcohol remained one of the main causes of traffic accidents.
According to him, over the last nine years, traffic accidents have decreased rapidly.
"However, the number of accidents and the injured and dead is still high. In particular, many drivers
still violate the traffic regulations: They exceed the posted speed limits, encroach onto other road
lanes, and violate alcohol restrictions."
According to statistics of the World Health Association, 37 per cent of 18,000 victims of traffic
accidents in the North of Viet Nam have surpassed the legal alcohol level of 50mg/100ml. Fifty-nine
per cent of victims who die of traffic accidents because of alcohol are aged from 15 to 29 years old.
Twenty-four per cent of those victims are aged from 30 to 44 years old. Ninety-three per cent of the
victims are men.
Nguyen Van Viet, chairman of Viet Nam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association (VBA) and VARD, said
that he believed that this campaign would be efficient in raising the inhabitants' awareness about
respect for traffic safety rules in general and those of alcohol in particular. — VNS

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National Child Helmet Action Plan launched in Vietnam
On January 13 in Hanoi, Vietnam, the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC), Vietnam’s
governmental authority on road safety, officially launched its National Child Helmet Action Plan to
promote child helmet use across the country.
The National Child Helmet Action Plan is coordinated by the NTSC and its department members,
including the ministries of Education and Training, Information and Communications, and the
Ministry of Public Security, with support from a number of local and global organizations, including
the AIP Foundation, a grantee of the GRSP administered Road Safety Grants Programme funded
through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Programme.
In Vietnam, even though helmet use is mandatory under current law for adults and children over six
years of age, child helmet use has remained significantly lower than adult use with only 1 in 3 children
in major cities wearing helmets.
'It is a peculiar and sad phenomenon that, over the past few years, we have seen very high compliance
with the mandatory helmet regulation among adults while helmet use among children remains
unacceptably low. Children are the future of the country and deserve the best care and attention. I
hope that, through the active roles of the relevant ministries and support from international
organizations and sponsors as well as strong commitment out of love from teachers and parents, every
child will wear a helmet when travelling on a motorbike or electric bicycle', said Dr. Khuat Viet Hung,
Executive Vice Chairman of NTSC.
Through targetted actions and a key message of 'Love your child, provide a helmet', the National
Child Helmet Action Plan's primary objectives are:
- To educate and raise awareness of road users about the regulation which requires child helmet use
while travelling on a motorcycle and an electric bicycle; and to increase attention and consensus on
complying with the child helmet regulation.
- To improve management capabilities of governmental bodies by enhancing accountability and
coordination capacity, as well as to create synergies between governmental bodies at national and
local levels, socio-political organizations, and local authority in terms of planning and monitoring the
child helmet regulation compliance.
- To increase helmet use rates among children, hence contribute to reducing repercussions on
children.raise public awareness and create a shift in public attitude towards child helmet use and
compliance with the child helmet regulation.
- The main activities of the Action Plan include public awareness raising and mass media
communications on child helmet use, school based education, and increased enforcement of helmet
wearing regulations.