Brainstorming Session No.3
Motorbike and Road Safety in Vietnam
June 21, 2006

Ms. Le Thu Huyen and Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa of the University of Transport and Communication presented an overview on road transport networks and road accidents in Vietnam. As of 2000, the total length of national roads in Vietnam was 15,120.9 km and the road density was 1,317km per 1,000 people. The majority (60.1%) of roads consists of asphalt-concrete or asphalt. Recently the number of motor vehicles, especially motorbikes, has greatly increased. The total number of motorbikes in 2003 was 10,140,000. Although the government has made great effort to develop bus networks in urban and outskirt areas, public transport cannot meet the increasing demand yet. Motorbikes remain the most popular means of transportation, and accidents involving motorbikes are many (71.5% of total road accidents). A comparison between Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia was also made.

In Vietnam, traffic accidents rose rapidly from 1990 to 2002 in terms of number, injuries and deaths. However, there was a significant shift toward reduction in 2002 thanks to stricter traffic safety management. Main causes of accidents are (i) speeding (ii) irregular passing, (iii) lack of visual observation, (iv) drinking, and (v) unsafe vehicles. Unlike other countries, alcohol is not at the top cause in Vietnam, at least statistically. The number of accidents is highest on national roads where vehicles travel at high speed.

Participants commented on the quality and availability of data and the interpretation of trends.

Some questions were raised about data quality. Data from 1990 up to 2002 show a clear trend of increasing accidents, injuries and deaths, all of which moved in tandem. However, from 2003 traffic accidents and injuries fell sharply while the number of deaths only stabilized. This is strange since that implies accidents involving deaths became dominant while less serious accidents were being reduced. Some participants doubted the reliability of data. Another participant pointed to the rapid introduction of high-speed inter-provincial buses and cars in recent years as a possible cause. Besides this, accident data of the Department of National Traffic Safety and the Ministry of Transportation were slightly different in the number of accidents and injuries, although death numbers were the same. The presenters explained that Vietnam's road accident data were not consistently compiled by related authorities, leading to discrepancies among sources. While death data is reliable, less serious accidents sometimes go unreported, and estimates are necessary for them.

Participants also discussed how to interpret the data. Accident data in Japan, Thailand and Vietnam all show complex trends, not just simple increase or decrease, and several causes are suspected to produce such movements. Multiple factors such as number of vehicles, road infrastructure, drivers’ attitude, policy and law enforcement, etc must be at play. Prof. Ohno recommended collection of time-series data on road accidents, say from early 1990 up to now, which contained such details as location (road type or province), drivers’ age and education, main causes, and seriousness of accidents.

The Joint Working Group wished to compile reliable data on road accidents in Vietnam as the statistical base for drafting the motorbike master plan. Data from neighboring countries are also desirable to make comparison with the case of Vietnam.