http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070418/hl_af...ho_070418081947

Vietnam has road deaths epidemic: WHO Wed Apr 18, 4:19 AM ET



HANOI (AFP) - The World Health Organisation on Wednesday called for Vietnam to minimise the country's huge human loss in traffic accidents, which has become a national epidemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

Vietnam reports one of the world's highest road death tolls, with 33 fatalities a day, resulting in more than 12,300 victims last year, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

"Traffic accidents in Vietnam have reached epidemic proportions," said Hans Troedsson, WHO director in Vietnam, at a Hanoi conference to launch the inaugural United Nations Global Road Safety Week.

"Road safety is not just a public health issue, but an economic and social issue," he said, citing an Asian Development Bank estimate that 885 million dollars is lost from Vietnam's economy every year because of traffic accidents.

There is widespread disregard for regulations and speed limits throughout the communist country.

Few of the 85 million population wear helmets although there are about 18 million registered motorbikes on the streets. Authorities have repeatedly tried to encourage the helmet wearing habit but encountered public refusal.

"Vietnam needs to make helmet use mandatory on all roads and effectively enforce it," Troedsson said, considering it one of the most significant measures to reduce human loss and head injuries.

About 40 percent of the country's total severe road traffic crashes have been caused by youths aged between 15 and 24, who account for 20 percent of the population, he added.

Transport minister Ho Nghia Dung quoted a survey by Ho Chi Minh City's Cho Ray hospital, saying about 85 percent of traffic accidents have involved motorcyclists.

The UN Global Road Safety Week targets young road users.

This is tragic and when our government were trying to force people to wear helmets, the ba que on Vietnamese BBC started b!tching. They think there's a conspiracy to help helmet makers make money. They even say that they'd rather see motorists die from accidents than to see helmet makers profiting from the new law.

Well, now that's just terrible... Is there no safety driving laws?

It will get stricter/better once we have more cars on the road.

These road accident fatalities and injuries are stretching our health care system to the breaking point - The wonderfulness of youth is wasted on young people.

traffic over there is fu-king crazy, there's absolutely no trafic laws at all. The roads over there are chaotic, there's hardly any lanes, which means you can drive towards people it you wanted 2.

yea hit and runs are common there. my aunt was killed by a hit and run while walkin on the sidewalk after church 2 years ago. and i also heard that my family over there pray everytime they enter a car over there.

they'd do anything,im not surprised

this is very sad and now that vn has introduce high capacity motorcycles..numbers can only increase
i think vn needs to follow suit other se asian countries...like banning small vehicles on highways, old motor vehicle buy back

i think its improving because i went back to vn 1 year ago and i could see more traffic lights than b4. ya true, vietnamese roads are very chaotic and messy. 5 years ago, i could not see motorcyclist running over the pavements but when i came back 1 year ago, i could see so many motorcyclist ran all over the pavements. And an american maths professor was injured in a traffic accident in VN, this is bad because it affects the image of our country, and scare the tourists away, so i hope the government can do more for the sake of the youth and for the economy as well