~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~ The Vietnam News

[Year 1997]

[Year 1998]

[Year 1999]

[Year 2000]

[Year 2001]

Vietnam govt postpones motorcycle helmet regulation HANOI - Vietnam's government has bowed to public pressure and agreed to indefinitely postpone a plan to fine motorcyclists who don't wear helmets, an official said Tuesday. This is the third time the government has tried but failed to enforce a motorcycle helmet law. Vietnam's chaotic streets are crowded with millions of motorbikes which have become the country's chief means of transport, and accidents have risen sharply. In response, the government decided to begin fining violators of the helmet law 20,000 dong ($1=VND14,580) beginning June 1. But many people complained that wearing helmets was uncomfortable in Vietnam's heat and humidity, and said it would be impractical for hundreds of people to carry helmets into movie theaters, restaurants or wedding receptions. The helmet debate was covered extensively in the state-controlled media, which quoted some citizens as saying that Vietnam would look like it had been invaded by thousands of spacemen if everyone were forced to wear a helmet. On Monday, the government decided to indefinitely postpone the planned fines in most cases, an official at the Prime Minister's Office said. Under a new proposal, fines will be imposed only on motorcyclists traveling without helmets on highways, while those in cities will only be encouraged to wear protective headgear, the official said. Vietnam has 7 million motorbikes for a population of 78 million people. About half of the motorbikes are in Hanoi and in southern Ho Chi Minh City. There were 23,327 traffic accidents in Vietnam last year which killed 7,927 people and injured 25,693 others, according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety. The number of accidents rose 8.3% over the previous year, while the number of fatalities increased 11.7%. Well over half, or 64.5% of the accidents involved motorcycles, the committee said. Vietnam's Communist government has had to modify or withdraw decisions on a number of occasions because of popular opposition. Last year, the Ministry of Trade imposed a customs inspection fee but abolished it four months later after companies protested it was too high and refused to pay. Widespread opposition to low payments from the government for land seized for infrastructure projects has delayed many projects. The Associated Press - May 15, 2001.

Helmet fever hits Vietnam but it's not always a pretty sight HANOI - Rising road deaths have prompted Vietnam's communists to crack down on wayward motorcyclists, leading to a get rich quick craze which has dominated the country's headlines and seriously challenged the fashion conscious. "Bike helmets. We sell hundreds of helmets a day, sometimes we do not have enough," said vendor Hoa Hue. "Prices increased at least 20 percent last week and we still cannot meet demand as distributors deliver only a limited amount." In motorbike-mad Vietnam the government has announced all riders and passengers must wear helmets from June 1. But the exorbitant cost, sometimes more than 50 dollars a helmet, has provoked a rush for cheap alternatives. Vietnam's average monthly wage is less than 30 dollars, forcing riders to discard their fashion sense and wear cheaper, unsafe and uglier versions dubbed rice cookers, or plastic toy imitations, instead of the authentic articles. "People are learning how to wear a rice cooker," said Nguyen Thu Thuy, a 21-year-old student. "I can't imagine how I will look like when I'm wearing a rice cooker." The cheapest helmets cost six dollars. Motorbikes are overwhelmingly Vietnam's main mode of travel and the cash-strapped government is serious about those who flout the new law. In 2000, there were 23,184 road accidents, killing 7,882 and injuring 25,678 people. More than half involved motorbikes, but less than three percent of riders wear helmets. The Vietnam Investment Review said: "The scene on June 1 is unlikely to be a pretty one, when all motorbike riders and passengers will be required by law to wear helmets." It expected the new law would mean a full-time job for every police officer in Hanoi if enforced, at least another 6.5 million helmets would be needed and it points out that failure to wear one would mean a fine of one dollar and 80 cents. "A huge number of imported helmets, mostly from China, are being sold in the market but are not up to standard," said motorcyclist Tran Quang Dat. "Many of the helmets on sale are actually just childrens' toys." Helmet prices have risen depending on quality and vendor Nguyen Quang Hung insists prices will double by the time the new law come into force. "I can sell 500 or 700 helmets a day although my motorbike spare parts shop started selling helmets only a week ago. This is actually a golden goal for me, to make a fortune." And the chase for quick riches has spread across the country. In the southern capital of Ho Chi Minh City, the Saigon Times Daily reported "Helmet Fever Sweeps HCMC" and said one vendor was selling 1,200 helmets a day. Of an estimated 400,000 helmets sold in recent weeks in Ho Chi Minh City, authorities estimated just 10 percent could be verified as safe. But Nguyen Thi Ha said: "I am a worker, I cannot afford to buy such expensive helmets for my six family members, they will cost me at least two months' salary." Agence France Presse - May 16, 2001.