I want to tell you a little about road traffic in Vietnam

First, the French were in Vietnam. The movement was declared to be right-handed. On this, the entire educational driving culture was completed.
The people were poor, the bicycle was a luxury.
Then the Americans came. More details from here.

Struck by the bacchanalia that reigned on the roads, the American administration allocated a dozen motorcycles with sidecars that cruised around the city.
A fighter was sitting in a carriage, in his hands, who had a bamboo stick wrapped in rags (not animals).
As soon as the fighter noticed a cyclist riding in the oncoming lane, he delivered a quick blow to the latter in the face with a bamboo stick, while simultaneously knocking the offender off the bike.

This method of restoring order had an effect and the Vietnamese began to travel in rows. However, as we know, America lost the war.
Perhaps one of the reasons for this defeat was their persistence in restoring order.

After the war, everything returned to normal: everyone traveled, who was in what much. It got to the point that the then leadership of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam turned to the then leadership of the USSR for help. And then, one fine day, our Soviet traffic cops appeared on the streets of Ho Chi Minh.
We studied the features of local brains and orders. Decided to make the traffic on part of the streets of Ho Chi Minh one-way.
Done.
The Vietnamese drove down the street in accordance with the sign ... And on the sidewalks in the opposite direction.
Our traffic cops clutched their heads and suggested adopting a law on administrative penalties and fines for traffic violations.
To which a fair answer followed: "The government that adopts these laws will not last long."
That's the way it was

But, the arrival of our traffic cops was not in vain.
Some experience has been passed on.
For example, from an ambush with a radar on straight, flat sections of the road outside the city, where for some reason there is a restrictive sign of 40 km / h.
Well, the solution of issues "without a receipt" and savings bank "...

It has been noticed: where a traffic jam of humming motorbikes, rickshaws and cars gathers, there is a traffic cop / traffic controller.
Without them, somehow everything resolves itself. At the level of instinct.

Worst of all for drivers of passenger cars.
Private.
He is always to blame.
And it doesn’t matter that that motorbiker, just in front of his nose, decided to turn around from the right lane.
He (motorbiker) is poor, he has no money for treatment and repair of his motorbike.
And you are rich, you have a personal car. You and pay.

This is the system of socialism in action.

By the way, after each accident, a crowd gathers around, which decides who is right and who should pay.
So that the Vietnamese traffic cops go to the analysis only if the case ends in a fatal outcome.
So more and more it is decided according to everyday ... But without scuffle.

What else to say about traffic in Ho Chi Minh and the surrounding area?
The main thing in the car is the horn. If the horn breaks, the driver lights up the alarm, takes it to the right and will not go until it is fixed.
And also, briefly about traffic: this is a madhouse.
I, having a driving experience with a license from 86 years old (and driving experience from 11 years old) would not have ventured in Ho Chi Minh even to leave the garage gate

There is a lot of talk about traffic in the countries of Southeast Asia. Of course, after all, for a European, this very movement is at first seen as continuous chaos and a cacophony of sounds, which is what shocks. But in fact, not everything is as scary as it seems at first glance. And at the end of the article, we will consider the basic rules of the Vietnamese movement.

Transport

The most common form of transport in Vietnam is a motorbike. The main reason for this is the availability of this vehicle. The fact is that in the country the tax on the purchase of a car is 100% of the cost. That is, the price of a car automatically doubles, plus an annual tax and a rather high cost of gasoline ... Only a wealthy person can afford even a small car. So the majority of Vietnamese ride on various two-wheeled vehicles - motorbikes, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, electric bikes ...

But how they drive! The Vietnamese manage to transport even bulky cargo on their motorbikes. He drives for himself, steers with one hand, and holds the second refrigerator behind his back so that he doesn’t fall ... Or one steers, and the second holds reinforcement 5 meters long or an iron ladder ... Every day we watched similar pictures and every time we were surprised how they manage to maintain balance, do not drop anything and do not hurt anyone.

In addition to the ubiquitous two-wheeled vehicles, there are buses on the road and, of course, cars, most often of Japanese or Korean production. They say that in recent years there have been significantly more cars on the roads of Vietnam. Is the well-being of the Vietnamese growing?

Auto centers of Honda, KIA and Toiota were noticed in the city. According to indirect evidence, there should also be Hyundai, but we did not see it.

And, of course, these auto centers also specialize in bikes.

In tourist cities, on the street you can find a cycle rickshaw inviting tourists to ride to the hotel or to “yum-yum”. But be careful - many cycle rickshaws first name one price, and when it comes time to pay, it suddenly grows many times, because it turns out that you have traveled much more than this amount ...

Streets and intersections

Road traffic in Vietnam is right-handed, as it was originally introduced by the French during colonization.

At the usual intersections of two roads, there is, as a rule, a stone pedestal with arrows, which must be bypassed when turning. In the conditions of a large number of motor vehicles, it is a very sound idea that no one tries to cut a corner, thereby creating traffic chaos.

But since the streets in Nha Trang are not all parallel and perpendicular, the intersections of such roads are circular. In the center of such intersections there is an obligatory flowering flower bed, in the middle of which there is some elegant structure, often glowing at night.

This is what the direction signs look like in front of a similar intersection. At first it seems incomprehensible, but if you are already at least a little oriented in the city, then everything falls into place.

But this intersection will be more difficult. But everything is also clear: to the left to the beach, straight and to the right is the Xom Moi market, to the right and back is the station ...

And what does the intersection triangle look like from the sign above? Like this: a beautiful well-groomed mini-park, stone paths with benches, a fountain in the middle (which, however, has never worked in our memory) ... Not to say that it was just an oasis in a dusty city, because lush greenery and flowers grow everywhere, but still, getting to such a place, just crossing the road, is very pleasant.

Large gas stations come across from time to time. The cost of gasoline in Vietnam at the time of our visit (September 2015) was 20–30 thousand dong, which is about $1–1.5 per liter.

Near some shops along the road you can find a standing plastic bottle. At first we were puzzled - why is this? It turned out that you can buy gasoline in these stores if you didn’t make it to the gas station on a motorbike (the gas tank there is usually small). Of course, the price will be higher, because this is a way to earn money, but sometimes you don’t have to choose.

Road signs

There are also traffic lights in cities, but this is so rare that a “traffic light regulation” sign is necessarily located in front of such an intersection.

In general, the Vietnamese are very creative people. And their road signs are also creative and sometimes funny. The most common crosswalk sign looks like this:

But, while we were moving around the city by bus, we saw a couple more variants of this sign, quite creative. On one road an old man with a stick crossed, and on the other a man in a hat and a lady. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take pictures. And this is what the sign “beware, children!” looks like:

And an unusual sign for us about the ban on parking bikes. Which, however, did not bother the Vietnamese, and right under it stood about seven two-wheeled vehicles.

Direction indicators with distances are also very handy. When you walk in the heat and stuffiness, it is very pleasant to know that only 300 meters are left to your destination.

sidewalks

The sidewalk in Vietnam (if there is one at all) is not at all a place for pedestrians, as is customary in our country. Rather, this is a place for parking bikes, for tables of Vietnamese cafes and anything else. Be prepared for the fact that when walking around the city, you will move mainly along the edge of the carriageway, and not at all along the sidewalks.

What did Vietnamese sidewalks teach me? First of all, look under your feet, and not stare around and up! You stumble a few times, keep from falling, and that's it - it already becomes a habit to look down quite often. Why? Firstly, the hatches of the Vietnamese look like this:

And these same hatches can stick out with sharp iron corners or, on the contrary, be recessed into the sidewalk, and they are quite common. Secondly, near many entrances and exits, the sidewalk goes down and up, but at the same time remains lined with the same tiles (no curbs) and visually this is not striking. Thirdly, right in the center of your path, a flower bed with trimmed trees may suddenly grow ...

And, finally, fourthly, most of the trees growing on the sidewalk are also not fenced with any curbs. Just pulled out 4 paving slabs and from there the tree grows. What is remarkable is that when a tree grows stronger, roots begin to bulge in different directions, the Vietnamese simply remove neighboring tiles so that the tree grows further as it pleases. Very touching care of the plant.

And how masterfully they park cars on the sidewalks! Every now and then I admired a car parked exactly between two trees or poles. It's not that it's completely impossible… it's just that on my unaccustomed side, it requires a lot of "body movements" and fidgeting back and forth. Unfortunately, I have never had a chance to observe the process of such parking, but I am sure that they do it quickly and without too much fuss, something familiar.

At the intersections there are blue signs with the name of the street, so it is almost impossible for a hiker with a map to get lost in the city. Here is the name of the street where we lived:

However, even if you did not find a sign indicating the street, all shops and cafes under the name always have the address of this institution.

Basic traffic rules

It is not my task here to teach you the rules of the Vietnamese traffic. I just want to note the peculiarities of traffic on the roads, which just frighten an inexperienced pedestrian or driver.

1. In Vietnam, you can only drive with a Vietnamese license. International law means nothing here. But in reality, tourists easily rent bikes and drive without a license at all. If you do not violate the rules and the speed limit, you drive in a helmet and dressed (bare knees offend the feelings of the local police, keep in mind), then most likely you will not be stopped. And if they stop, the standard fine for driving a bike without a license is $50, plus the confiscation of the bike to the impound lot.

2. The main thing in a Vietnamese car or bike is the horn. Everyone and everything is signaling. At first glance, it seems that they honk with or without reason, but this is not entirely true. They usually honk before performing a maneuver (rebuilding, overtaking, turning), as if to say - hey, keep in mind, I'm turning here. Or - dude, don't twitch, I'm overtaking you.

3. Another rule is who is more, he is right. The king of the roads is the bus. He never yields to anyone. It took - turned. And do not care that (as it seems to us) it was necessary to miss the oncoming lane. Will only signal.

4. You can drive in the oncoming lane at a distance of a meter from the sidewalk or the edge of the road. That is, the Vietnamese drove his turn. Gaped up, it happens. Well, what should he now, go to the intersection and turn around? And then to the next intersection and turn around again to get to the right place ... And he has a load of fresh fish there, for example, which needs to be delivered urgently ... In this case, he drives along the opposite lane at the edge of the road. I arrived, gave the goods, went to deliver further. Everyone is fine.

5. Look forward! A Vietnamese can change lanes and perform maneuvers without looking at all in the rear-view mirror (which may not be on the bike at all). Everyone looks only forward to instantly react to the rebuilding of those in front of you. And if an accident occurs, the one whose “muzzle” is scratched is to blame. Because he was yawning around and did not see that someone appeared in front of him.

6. Everyone drives around the city at a speed of about 30 km / h at the permitted 60 km/h. The fact is that at this speed, even in an accident, there is usually no fatal outcome.

7. According to Vietnamese rules two people are allowed on the bike simultaneously. At the same time, children are not considered people, so you can often see two Vietnamese and three children on one bike. And sometimes 4-5 adults rides. We saw a maximum of four, but the experienced saw eight people on one bike.

Conclusion: look ahead, drive 30 km / h, let everyone who is more pass, and signal before the maneuver. And you will be happy Vietnamese roads!

How to cross the road in Vietnam

The Vietnamese themselves do not worry about crossing the road and do it where it is convenient for them, without running in search of a pedestrian crossing. Because there really is no difference.

When we first approached the pedestrian crossing on the wide street, it seemed to us that it was virtually impossible to cross the road here. Having read in advance articles about ways to cross the road in Southeast Asian countries, we decided. We raised our hand up and slowly walked forward, stumbling at the sight of another motorbike “rushing” at us ... And we ended up on the other side.

The very next day we were convinced that we could not raise our hands, go much faster, and in general that not everything was as scary as it seemed the first time. And a week later, when we crossed the roundabout almost diagonally without hesitation, we realized with a laugh that we finally got used to it.

So how do you cross the road in Vietnam? Yes, it’s very simple: we let cars and buses pass, as they will not be able to quickly bypass you. Before starting the movement, we look in both directions, because we remember that oncoming traffic is also possible near the sidewalk. And we go out onto the road, looking to the left into the lane. We adjust our speed depending on what we see there. If you see that the bike coming at you has accelerated, then it is going to overshoot in front of you, and slow down a little. Or you see that the bikes start to take a little to the side in order to go around you. In general, we act according to the circumstances! And there is no need to be afraid and stand up like a pillar. The pedestrian must be predictable, then nothing terrible will happen, because we remember that the Vietnamese look mainly ahead when driving and they will definitely notice you.

Good luck on the roads!

Natalia Derevyagina

In Vietnam, irritation and nerves are our faithful companions every day. And not only every day, but every time you go outside. Not even like that. Every minute you burn one nerve cell due to the fact that this does not stop and nothing can be done about it. Traffic in Vietnam, and not only in Ho Chi Minh City, but also in Nha Trang, simply cannot but infuriate. Not only is chaos reigning on the roads, but in all this chaos you somehow have to remain unharmed. We have been living in Vietnam for a month now and still cannot get used to it.

6 points that infuriate us on the roads of Vietnam:

1. Constant movement

Vietnam does not stop for a second. Mopeds are everywhere and everywhere. Wherever you turn your head, you will see tales.

As guides on excursions say, if the whole of Vietnam moved to cars, then a lifelong traffic jam would form. I think there is truth in these words, but that doesn't make it any easier. Especially if you are a pedestrian and do not use this vehicle. Therefore, just the presence of an endless stream of motorbikes strongly drips on the nerves.

2. Noise in the street

Vietnam is not a quiet country at all. Motorcycles and buses on the roads not only make noise with their motors, but also honk incessantly. It feels like they don't even take their hand off the horn to honk non-stop. Moreover, the signals are heard not only in the direction of passers-by, they signal to each other and to rare cars, and those in response beep to them. Such is the strange communication among Vietnamese drivers.

The other day we witnessed a funny situation, we were walking along the street, and in front we blocked the road at the crossing, as the train was approaching. There are no automatic barriers here, people block the road manually.

Railway crossing in Vietnam

Crazy Vietnamese drivers try to pass in the last seconds despite the oncoming train

When the barrier was finally closed, there was suddenly silence. It was so unusual and so good that it was impossible not to notice. As soon as the train passed and the barrier began to open, the motorbike drivers immediately rushed off and again noise, dust and chaos reigned on the street.

Crazy impatient Vietnamese in agonizing expectation when it will be possible to start the engine and take off

3. Crossing the road in Vietnam is not easy

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - Kiwi Taxi
Ordered a taxi online, paid by card. We were greeted at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You have already talked about your experience In this article

When we first got into a continuous stream of motorbikes, we did not understand how to merge with this stream and how to cross the road in such a way as to stay alive. Motorcycles travel simultaneously in all directions.

It used to take us 15 minutes to cross two roads. Now they have more or less got used to it and understood that the main rule for a pedestrian is to be obvious and predictable for a motorbike driver. Move slowly and confidently and never stop in the middle of the road to let the driver pass. They do not understand such stops and begin to turn their steering wheel in different directions, wondering why the hell you stopped, and do not go further. We are still learning from Vietnamese passers-by how to quickly cross the road.

Crossing the road in traffic jams is the most dangerous. Even if there is a traffic light or a traffic controller, do not expect help from him

Drivers drive here mostly no faster than 40 km per hour, but the flow is so dense and unpredictable that every road crossing is torture and nerves. Often, because of this, you even have to look for ways to get around, just not to cross the road.

Watch a short video from an ordinary street in Ho Chi Minh City:

4. Vietnamese drivers don't give a damn about the pedestrian zebra and traffic lights

Apparently they don't even know what it's for. Probably, they think, for beauty. In most cases, and what's really there, in all cases, it makes no sense to stand on a zebra and cross the road along it. The Vietnamese both drove and will continue to drive. The zebra doesn't bother them. It's us, civilized people, who out of habit still stand on it and go to this biker hell, knowing that this will not help us in any way. Therefore, there are no road crossings. Traffic lights are just as often overlooked. Even if the main stream has stopped, there will always be a dozen tanks that will go to red. Therefore, when crossing at a traffic light, you should always look at the road. Moreover, in both directions, because the Vietnamese calmly drive in the opposite direction.

5. Bikes ride freely on sidewalks

As soon as we were glad that there are sidewalks in Vietnam, and sometimes even wide ones, the disappointment was not long in coming. These insatiable motorbikers have occupied not only roads, but also pedestrian areas. Sidewalks are lined with bikes everywhere. At best, tourists are left to move along those remnants that are still free or along the side of the road. But in the remaining pieces, not everything is calm either, mopeds often ride on them and nervously signal you to give way to them.

On the sidewalk, like on the highway

The Vietnamese calmly drive onto the sidewalks without any respect and impudently attack you, showing their superiority. One gets the impression that in Vietnam pedestrians are not considered people. Therefore, if you are on the sidewalk, or rather on the scrap that is left of it, then do not relax. And here they put pressure on you and don’t let you pass normally.

The only exceptions are the central streets and the embankment. In many lanes and non-tourist quarters, the roads are hollowed out and there are no sidewalks. So you walk along the side of the road, dodging bikes.

The Vietnamese are so lazy that they even ride bikes around the market. I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep hugging their mopeds.

Mopeds on the market

6. Carelessness of drivers and their impudence

This circumstance sometimes even forces us not to leave the house unnecessarily and go somewhere for long distances. Probably Vietnamese drivers are the worst drivers in the world.

For a Vietnamese, a bike is not a luxury, but a means of transportation, a bed, a dining table and, in general, a second home.

They fly out of the nooks and crannies, even if there is a person walking there. They drive right at you, even if they see you in both eyes. They do not give way and are ready to run over your legs, but do not stop. I hate them with all my good soul. They are so stupid that when I go out into the street, I swear as much as there are mats.

It is unbearable every second to keep yourself ready and look around so that your legs do not crush you. You can completely forget about walking and exploring the city on the streets of Vietnam. Test, nerves, mate and irritation every day. Here is the most boundless and most disrespectful attitude towards pedestrians that we have seen for. Even in Goa, tuk-tuks and motorbikers were 100 times more forgiving and let people through instead of riding straight at them with an attitude of “I don’t give a damn about you pathetic pedestrian.”

That's what it is, Vietnamese traffic on the roads. And if you have children, then your nerves will be at the limit even more than ours. I just can't imagine how to cross such a street with a stroller.

Super User

Road traffic in Vietnam

In Vietnam, traffic is characterized by its own unusual laws that not even all Vietnamese know and understand. One of the features of Vietnam is a huge number of mopeds, bicycles and motorcycles.

The Vietnamese prefer to travel by these vehicles because of the high cost of cars, which are subject to a huge duty of 200%. Moreover, after an hour of being in Vietnam, you understand that this is a city in which, even if you have a car, not everyone will dare to travel in it.

The most important vehicle in Vietnam is the moped, without which no local resident can imagine his life. Thus, the roadways of cities are filled with thousands of mopeds and only a small number of expensive cars that, like turtles, move slowly and carefully.

Tourists in Vietnam are amazed by very interesting and funny moments of everyday life, for example, by how the Vietnamese have adapted to transport not only various animals (chickens, ducklings, pigs) on their small vehicles, but also building materials, huge furniture, household appliances and much more.

Most tourists who have just arrived in the country are shocked and frightened by the fact that the locals completely disregard the rules of the road. Formally, they exist in Vietnam, but, unfortunately, no one observes them on the roads. In crowded cities, endless streams of mopeds rush, not noticing traffic lights, road signs, or zebra crossings for pedestrians. Sometimes, of course, very frisky drivers are still punished with a fine for speeding or breaking the rules. But these are very insignificant fines, which do not particularly teach drivers anything. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see a Vietnamese on a moped, who not only enters the oncoming lane and crosses the road through two solid lines, but also turns left from the rightmost lane. All this is quite natural - he's in a hurry!

It is also important that the Vietnamese practically do not use rear-view mirrors at all, even in the case of rebuilding to another line. Therefore, if you notice only one mirror on a moped, do not be surprised, because some mopeds cannot boast of this either.

06.07.2019 17:47

Do not believe those who say that the roads in Asia are chaos. If you cannot understand something, then it is extremely incorrect to call it chaos. For the first time, we plunged into the abyss of Asian road traffic in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the perception of Vietnamese traffic was already on prepared ground and did not cause shock. Below I will share a 3-month experience of driving a bike in Vietnam, I will tell you in detail about all road users and their features.

Only at first glance, chaotic, scary and unpredictable. An unprepared person who arrives in Vietnam is horrified by this inexhaustible stream of mopeds. In fact, it is quite comfortable and safe here, no matter how wild it may sound. To understand the essence of what is happening, let's compare the road flow with a mountain river, which smoothly and harmoniously flows around all obstacles and merges with other rivers flowing into it. If you throw a stone into such a stream of water, then nothing terrible will happen! The river will not stop, it will smoothly flow around the obstacle!

So is traffic in Vietnam. The main rule is no sudden movements, regardless of whether you are crossing the road on foot or driving a bike. I want to try to systematize the subtleties and nuances of traffic in Vietnam for pedestrians and bikes.

First, a few words about modes of transport on the roads and psychological characteristics of drivers of each type.

Pedestrians

1. How to cross the road in Vietnam. Do not even hope that if you cross the road on a zebra, they will let you through. Remember the comparison with a mountain river? It will not stop even for a moment if you enter it. Be careful, walk forward slowly and always look at the flow of traffic approaching you. This is where eye contact is important. Do not even try to speed up and run - this is a direct road to the hospital. Walk slowly and confidently, all mopeds will bypass you, it is better to skip other vehicles. You will be informed about your intention NOT to let you through by flashing headlights.

2. Sidewalks. Forget about it! The Vietnamese don't walk, they ride bikes, which means they don't need sidewalks. Sidewalks are used as a parking lot, a trash can, a dining room, a shop, a hairdresser ... In fairness, it should be noted that there are still sidewalks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

This is not a watermelon sale, this is a typical sidewalk:

And this is not a parking lot for a bus, but also a sidewalk:

And this is the sale of Christmas decorations. On the pavement, of course.

Transport.
Now the most interesting thing is Vietnam SDA (Concepts of Road Traffic) That's right, because traffic in Vietnam is more subject to concepts, not rules.

Traffic jams, parking, accidents
Mopeds must only be parked on the sidewalk! If you leave it on the roadway, it is fraught with a tow truck, especially on the main streets. We saw repeatedly how a truck collects packs of mopeds under the supervision of the police. Modern shopping centers have good (though sometimes paid) parking lots. Most often they protect from rain, although in Vietnam no one bothers about this.

There are no traffic jams in Nha Trang. Even on the main streets during rush hour, traffic can be very dense, but there will be traffic, which cannot be said about Ho Chi Minh

With all the saturation of traffic, surprisingly in 3 months I saw only two accidents! One of them, on the driver's own initiative, was driving down a one-way street and crashed into a garbage truck (a container on bicycle wheels that is manually moved from house to house, because there are no centralized trash cans in Vietnam). The second accident is the only real accident that I saw, everyone is alive, a little scratched. In Russia, accidents are much more common.

On this cheerful note, perhaps that's all I wanted to talk about traffic in Vietnam. We arrived and all our movements were exclusively on it. In general, a bike in Vietnam gives incredible freedom - we rode it everywhere and always, in any weather, and even 200 km away in Mui Ne to visit a friend from Barnaul, who has been living in Southeast Asia for many years. If you follow the rules that I wrote about above, then you will fully experience the convenience and safety of this type of transport!