RIDING A MOTORCYCLE IN VIETNAM: SAFETY TIPS
Vietnam’s traffic is madness, at least to us foreigners, for them there is order in the chaos. The best thing you can do is accept the insanity of the traffic and just go with it. You got to pay attention at all times, as accidents can happen in a split second, and trust me that is the last thing you want to happen during your holiday. It might be a bit overwhelming at first, especially the honking, but you’ll get used to it. Some practical tips:
- Rules? There simply are no rules. Stick to the basics… ride on the right side of the road, keep your eyes on the road and be alert. Riding a motorbike in Vietnam is different from driving in Europe or North America, so even if you stick to the rules, 99% chance the locals next to you won’t. So be alert and stay safe!
- Wear a helmet. No, I am not your mom, I know, but with (1) the insanity of the traffic and (2) the amount of police checks I would strongly advice you to still wear one. Wearing a helmet is mandatory in Vietnam and not wearing one could result in unnecessary bribes paid to police officers. We all travel on a budget, that money can be spend in better places.
- Use your direction lights, everyone tailgates in Vietnam, you can’t get around it. So make it a bit easier and safer for the person behind you and use those direction lights on time.
- Honk. Honkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonkhonk. Honk at least 1000 times a minute, you cannot go riding around Vietnam without honking. Honk because someone is going to slow, because they go a bit to the left or right, because the light is green and they are not riding the first millisecond, or just because you feel like it. Join the Honking Games! Okay, now without joking, everyone honks every two seconds, for absolutely no reason.
- People will surpass you from the left and the right, cars will come in your lane, every honks at you… this is all common. Just make sure to stay calm and keep your focus on the road!
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To get more details on many other Vietnam Motorbike Tours to the North of Vietnam, you can visit at Northern Vietnam Motorcycle Tours, Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tours and Hagiang Loop Motorbike Tours.
Of course, you can also follow us at this following youtube channel to see what we’re doing for our guests:
