New Helmet Law in Vietnam Successful

I remember back in August, 2004, the Vietnamese government tried to enforce the helmet law in the whole country. It ended up failing within the cities since the people protest. Instead, the Vietnamese government forced people riding on the highways to wear helmets. People living in cities did not have to wear a helmet unless you were riding on a highway.

To be honest, I was not sure if the new law would be successful. Saturday morning when I drove to my meeting, I was surprised to be quite honest. It was strange to see everyone, including the little kids, wearing helmets. According to VietnamNet Bridge, nearly 99 percent of people complied with the new law in Saigon. That is good news.

The bad news, it seems that the majority of people were wearing their helmets incorrectly. I saw many loose chin straps, helmets way too big. Most of us are wearing half-helmets which leave our ears uncovered so we can hear the traffic so a tight chin strap is crucial. My helmet, purchased from Taiwan, does an okay job but I am constantly tightening the strap after each use. Not good.

I just hope I never get into an accident...

Read Most obey helmet law on first day

(Image source: VietnamNet Bridge)