Archived News: Road Safety
07.06.07 A serious traffic accident in Binh Thuan Province killed 4 people and injured 33 others this week. The passengers were returning from a wedding. The bride broke her arm and the groom had minor injuries. Both drivers were killed, as well as the passengers closest to each driver.
13.05.06 On April 10, a German touris was killed in front of the Sea Breeze Resort. He was apparently driving a motorbike on the wrong side of the rode and hit a bus at high speed. The man was reported to have died instantly. Locals have said the man was driving haphazardly. Fatal accidents involving locals outside Mui Ne, including Phan Thiet, are very common (often due to speeding and/or drunk driving) but serious accidents involving tourists around Mui Ne are very rare.
Local police have responded aggressively by hiring translators and stopping all foreign drivers at multiple roadblocks in the area. Reportedly, any driver who does not posess a local Vietnamese driver's license has their vehicle confiscated and must make their way on foot. The new effort is seen as a way to preserve Vietnam's image as a safe tourism destination by taking foreign drivers off the road. There is some concern that tourists will be frightened away by the frequent roadblocks as even foreign passengers could be subject to detainment with questioning.
The police appear to be enforcing a national law that has long been on the books, but in practice was suspended in regard to foreign tourists in order to promote tourism. In much of the country foreigners have been allowed, in practice, to drive independantly, and have been all but impervious to roadblocks.
The development is already impacting local tourism. The situation turns off the more adventurous tourists who like to explore on their own. A small, but not insignificant class of tourists like to travel Vietnam crosscountry by motorbike, but now can no longer stop in Mui Ne on the way (without getting stranded).
Some seasonal expats have decided to cut their time short in Mui Ne this year due to the inconvenience the situation is causing them. Some teachers and businessmen in Saigon are now driving to Vung Tau or Nha Trang for the weekend instead.
There are several issues that complicate the situation. When a tourist drives themselves they have the power of choice and freedom to explore. Tourists who don't know the area and are forced to go with a driver tend to end up only at places which pay the driver a commission. The little out-of-the-way businesses suffer. The moto fare (with driver) to some of the attractions in Binh Thuan Province can be as much as 3 times the price of renting a motorbike for the entire day. This discourages sight-seeing around the area.
Expats report that attempts to apply for local Vietnamese Driver's licenses are frought with difficulty, frustration and failure. Disinformation and contradiction abound at police and government offices in regard to licenses. The problem is comparable to tourists trying to renew their visa in person, without assistance. Without a tour company to "work out the kinks" it is all but impossible. Perhaps tour companies could/should start arranging for driver's licenses as well visa renewals. Only time will tell if this will become necessery or if local officials will simply lose interest and we go back to business as usual.
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