Vietnam — Motorbikes of Hanoi, Vietnam
You will need eyes in the back of your head
September 2015
The one thing you cannot fail to notice while wandering around Hanoi is the staggering number of motorbikes on the road.
Everywhere I went in Hanoi, there seemed to be motorbikes. They were outside every shop, every store, and street corner. Crossing the road was a real hazard as the motorbikes appeared to come at you from every and all directions.
The people in Hanoi had a very casual and laid-back approach to using motorbikes. They used them for getting around town. They used them for moving goods.
It was common to see mothers with young children on motorbikes, fathers with children, and sometimes whole families.
The motorbikes may be small and nippy and get the locals of Hanoi around town, but there were so many of them that parking was a challenge. I regularly came across large “motorbike car parks” by the side of the road and on pieces of waste ground.
There was, however, a new motorbike on the streets of Hanoi. The new motorbike is more deadly to pedestrians than the traditional petrol-driven motorbike — the electric bike.
With a petrol-driven motorbike, you could hear it coming, that steady putt-putt-putt-putt sound. But, with the electric motorbike, there is no sound. It was on top of you as you tried to cross the road before you knew it.
In fact, I was struck by the lack of cars in Hanoi. Everyone seemed to have a motorbike.
Some motorbike riders in Hanoi didn’t take safety seriously; they wouldn’t even wear crash helmets. However, other riders would wear a helmet and a garment that covered the face and the hands. The garment was not to provide protection in a crash but to keep the sun off the rider.
How some people managed to drive their motorbikes was beyond me.
Crossing the road with all these motorbikes around could be a real challenge. And my advice is to “go for it”. That is, spot a possible gap in the traffic (don’t wait for a big gap because one never appears!) and start crossing the road. You will still need to keep your eyes (and ears) open for motorbikes, but you will find that most of them will swerve around you. Be careful! Don’t suddenly stop walking or lose your nerve, as that is when you will likely be hit. Walk in a straight, determined line at a steady pace. Alternatively, find a local and cross with them.
As I said above, the motorbikes in Hanoi that I had the most trouble with were the electric ones. They were so quiet.
A family out on a motorbike.
So, if you’re in Hanoi, watch out for the motorbikes. They are omnipresent and always on the go. Crossing the road can be challenging, but if you keep your wits about you is not impossible. Good luck!
