The offender, a younger male pupil with no helmet, swiftly fled the scene, leaving Hanh behind with one leg nonetheless trapped beneath her fallen motorcycle.
Unable to maneuver, the 28-year-old lady from Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, was quickly taken to the closest medical station for her accidents.
“I used to be utterly caught off guard. The particular person answerable for the accident neither honked nor seemed round whereas dashing by the alley,” Hanh recounted.
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Two helmetless riders on an electrical motorcycle on Dao Tan Road, Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District, captured on March 20, 2024. Photograph by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen |
Trong Nghia, a 45-year-old resident of Hai Phong, skilled a collision with an electrical motorcycle when its driver – a younger pupil – deliberately ran a purple gentle. Fortunately, on account of Nghia’s cautious pace, regular dealing with, and fast reflexes, the incident didn’t lead to any extreme penalties.
“Dashing in silence” is how the person aptly characterised as we speak’s electrical scooters.
In response to Nghia, the peril of those autos lies of their capability to maneuver with out making any noise. Most of their operators are minors, who aren’t totally geared up with visitors data and abilities. They have an inclination to ignore helmet utilization, don’t honk, and sometimes run purple lights.
“In comparison with regular motorbikes and automobiles, the penalties for electrical scooters and motorbikes are nonetheless too lenient. It’s not sufficient to discourage these drivers from breaking visitors security guidelines,” Nghia asserted.
In response to the state of affairs, on March 15, Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the Nationwide Visitors Security Committee, proposed including laws that may require drivers to have a license for working electrical autos and motorbikes with a capability beneath 50 cc, as an modification to the prevailing Regulation on Roadway Visitors.
As soon as in impact, the principles would additionally apply to youngsters from 16 to 18 years previous.
Affiliate Professor Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute for Sources, Atmosphere and Neighborhood growth, emphasised the vital significance of teaching minor drivers of electrical autos about visitors legal guidelines by conducting driving assessments and issuing licenses.
“Lately, there was a rise in visitors accidents brought on by drivers beneath the age of 18, with some leading to critical repercussions,” An stated.
In response to reviews from the Ministry of Transport, by the top of 2023, there have been roughly 2.3 million electrical motorbikes and mopeds in Vietnam. The gross sales of those autos have surged by 30-35% over the previous few years. Notably, college students make up the first person group, as they’re exempt from taking a driver’s assessments to acquire licenses.
Based mostly on information from the Nationwide Visitors Security Board, 90% of visitors accidents in recent times contain youngsters driving electrical autos or bikes beneath 50 cc.
In 2023 alone, practically 1,000 kids beneath 18 misplaced their lives, and one other 1,300 have been injured in visitors accidents. Round 80% of those victims have been between 15 and 18 years previous and have been driving their very own autos on the time of the occasion.
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Hanoi visitors police issuing fines to college students on motorbikes and electrical bicycles for not sporting helmets. Photograph by VnExpress/Giang Huy |
Dr Khuong Kim Tao, former Deputy Chief of Workplace of the Nationwide Visitors Security Committee, additionally desires to make licenses obligatory for teenage highway customers.
“Non-compliant operation of electrical motorbikes and mopeds beneath 50cc additionally instills worry amongst fellow highway customers,” Tao stated.
Tuyet Hanh, having skilled the accident, now approaches electrical bikes with heightened vigilance.
At any time when she meets one, she decelerates and maintains a protected distance from the automobile. “Nowadays I proactively keep away from them. It’s higher to remain additional alert and defend your self,” stated Hanh.
In the meantime, Trong Nghia took his son’s electrical motorcycle to a restore store for customized changes, following issues that his Ninth-grade son would experience the automobile with out correct pace management.
He requested the mechanic to restrict the utmost pace of the bike to 25-30 km/h, whereas additionally ensuring the bike horn and lights have been all purposeful.
Moreover, Nghia educated his little one about visitors security, emphasizing the significance of sporting helmets, understanding and following highway indicators, and utilizing flip alerts. “Regardless of the comfort of transportation autos, lack of know-how whereas driving will inevitably result in grave penalties,” he stated.
Nevertheless, some customers of electrical motorbikes and mopeds beneath 50 cc consider that taking a driving license take a look at can be a waste of money and time.
Ngoc Anh, a 17-year-old electrical moped person from Cau Giay district, Hanoi, claimed that she would cease utilizing her moped for good if she have been required to get a driving license for the automobile.
“It’s an excessive amount of work. In only one yr, I’d should take one other driving take a look at for the motorcycle,” she remarked.
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Ngoc Anh on her electrical moped. Photograph by VnExpress/Thanh Nga |
Dr Tao acknowledged the validity of those issues. Each the Vietnamese Regulation on Highway Visitors (2008) and the 1968 Vienna Conference on Highway Visitors don’t stipulate that drivers of bikes with a capability beneath 50 cc should acquire a driving license.
He argued that whereas driving assessments give alternative for people to equip themselves with visitors legal guidelines, their consciousness performs an much more essential function. In any case, it’s not the autos themselves which are problematic, however fairly the habits of drivers that may result in points.
Along with instructional efforts involving households and faculties, the knowledgeable beneficial implementing stringent sanctions on electrical moped customers, to handle violations similar to not sporting helmets, working purple lights, and extreme dashing.
“Issues associated to electrical autos can be solved if we deal with them the identical manner we crack down on driving inebriated,” stated Dr Tao.
In 2022, Thanh Thuy, a resident of Ha Dong District, spent VND20 million ($806) on an electrical motorcycle for her son. Nevertheless, after he collided with a pedestrian whereas working a purple gentle, the automobile has remained unused for a yr.
Though the sufferer sustained solely minor scratches and didn’t search compensation, Thuy is set to forestall a recurrence, and requested her son to return to biking. For longer rides, particularly on days with harsh climate, she provides him a experience herself.
Thuy believes this strategy ensures security for each her little one and different highway customers. “If a baby has not mastered driving abilities and visitors guidelines, they need to chorus from driving on the highway,” the 40-year-old stated.