Brain Buckets

[brian_n_phuong 193]

They are finally prohibiting the roadside vendor brain buckets.

http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/wearers-of-imitation-helmets-to-be-fined-1.64358

Good Move, now if they would just focus on passing a law requiring helmets for small children, or prohibit them from riding in front of the driver.

[X Factor 1,112]

It's about time.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

It's about time.

When were you in Viet Nam?

This wasn't posted in the Gilligan's Island Forum

Edited March 15, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[tcTTct 37]

Or prohibit them from riding in front of the driver.

How would you be able to take the whole family on a moped then? Duh.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

How would you be able to take the whole family on a moped then? Duh.

I watched in horror last year as a very small child was ejected over a motorbike's handlebars after t-boning another bike. I couldn't stop because of the traffic flow and thankfully wasn't able to see the resulting injuries to the child. This is the one practice of modern Vietnamese society that I find totally disgusting. Perhaps things might change if the Canh Sat focused on saving lives instead of shaking down teenagers for pocket money.

Edited March 15, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[tcTTct 37]

Look, Vietnam is not a safety concious country and no matter how many laws they introduce, people will not obey them. You'll get desensitized if you see it enough. If you think that all the police does is shake down teenagers for pocket money, you're wrong. They demand bribes from everybody and get rich doing so. I got pulled over near Saigon in November in a car and it took 15 minutes to negotiate down to 2 million vnd. He started at 4 mil and kept insisting on impounding my car.

[ScottThuy 140]

I saw a little girl who was crossing a street with very little traffic get clipped by a motorbike last week. her dad picked her up, dusted her off and said lets get something to eat... accidents seem to be so accepted there... It would take a long time to enforce the new new helmet law... the majority of the country wear unsafe helmets as it is...

[luckytxn 2,265]

I was told they had safety helmet laws when I was there a few years ago. Maybe it was just in the area I was in.

When were you in Viet Nam?

This wasn't posted in the Gilligan's Island Forum

I had to come read the Gilligans island comment again for a LOL.

[tcTTct 37]

They are passing a law against the crappy sorry excuse for a helmet that are sold all over the place. People buy those because they are cheap, fashionable and as to not get flagged down for not wearing a helmet. But they don't protect anything.

You watch. Of there's going to be a requirement for an approval stamp on these new helmets there will be a flood of helmets with fake approval stamps in the marketplace.

[luckytxn 2,265]

They are passing a law against the crappy sorry excuse for a helmet that are sold all over the place. People buy those because they are cheap, fashionable and as to not get flagged down for not wearing a helmet. But they don't protect anything.

You watch. Of there's going to be a requirement for an approval stamp on these new helmets there will be a flood of helmets with fake approval stamps in the marketplace.

Oh OK I understand now. I never understood that the helmets were so bad there.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

Look, Vietnam is not a safety concious country and no matter how many laws they introduce, people will not obey them. You'll get desensitized if you see it enough. If you think that all the police does is shake down teenagers for pocket money, you're wrong. They demand bribes from everybody and get rich doing so. I got pulled over near Saigon in November in a car and it took 15 minutes to negotiate down to 2 million vnd. He started at 4 mil and kept insisting on impounding my car.

So whats your solution? Give up? Accept complacent attitudes? Keep watching people die? I'm a licensed driver in Vietnam and have seen my share of gore, from simple road rash right down to carnaged dead bodies. You do become a bit desensitized to the adult victims, but I still can't get that image of that small child out of my head.

I didn't say that the CSGT spend ALL their time shaking down teenager's, but they DO waste a considerable amount of time doing exactly that. I can't speak for Saigon, but in Da Nang the CSGT are posted in all of the major traffic circles during rush hour and a good 90% of those pulled over are teenagers who are quick to fork over cash without an arguement.

When the helmet law became mandatory in 2001 most drivers started donning helmets, so enforcement does work when it's applied. In 2007 it became mandatory for all riders; but that law wasn't enforced, is misunderstood, and it is generally ignored hence the problem. Vietnam has to start somewhere to change the mentality and this new push toward safety in the past year is a positive sign. The problem is that people STILL don't realize that children are required to wear helmets or the false belief that helmets cause neck injury in children. The lack of enforcement and safety education just reinforces that attitude. Look back 30 years in the US, it was common practice to not use child's safety seats, and kids riding in the back of open pickup trucks was an normal practice. Mentalities change, but it takes both enforcement and education.

The following data (a bit old but still relevant) from the World Health Organization:

Adults and children differed substantially in their use of helmets. On average, the greatest use among adults was seen in was seen in Da Nang (99%), followed by Can Tho (98%), Ho Chi Minh City (94%) and Hanoi (90%). The use of helmets among children £ 7 and 814 years of age was 34% and 23%, respectively, in Hanoi; 28% and 52%, respectively, in Ho Chi Minh City, and 53% and 54%, respectively, in Can Tho. In Da Nang, observations were made only for children who looked £ 14 years of age (30%). The new helmet legislation in Viet Nam has resulted in a substantial increase in the use of helmets, but only among adults; the wearing of helmets among children has remained low. Substantial differences between adults and children in the wearing of helmets were observed in the study.

The full reference can be found here:

Viet Nam's mandatory motorcycle helmet law and its impact on children

Edited March 16, 2012 by brian_n_phuong

[tcTTct 37]

So whats your solution? Give up? Accept complacent attitudes? Keep watching people die?

I don't have a solution, I'm not an activist, or maybe I'm just a douche and just don't care enough.

Da Nang is not Saigon, even Hanoi is considered a small town compared to Saigon.

[brian_n_phuong 193]

It would take a long time to enforce the new new helmet law... the majority of the country wear unsafe helmets as it is...

True Scott but it's a start. Most of the helmets in the major supermarkets and big stores seem decent, it's mostly those roadside vendor helmets that are garbage. I bought one of of the ####### helmets a few years ago when my good helmet got stolen from the gui xe, the thing kept flying off my head because it was so light and the helmet strap was broken by the time I got home. At least the guy that stole my helmet is a bit safer.

I would be happy if they just get the helmets on the kiddos, even a crappy helmet would be better than nothing.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Well a helmet is pricey for a family so a couple of helmets would be a luxury and maybe some can't afford a separate helmet for all.

[VinceN 25]

Being an active sport bike rider here in the states, I can tell you those "helmets" are a joke regardless where you buy them from. Like it was stated, the people do not give a damn about safety, you can make them put one on but with the way they wear them along disregarding any fitment issue the helmet might even hurt them instead of helping them in a crash.