Vietnam and off topic

So true! But there is just one ray of hope. Vietnamese and Thai drivers have one very different driving characteristic that helps make their roads much safer than they appear at first to Oz drivers. ( Note, I didn't say they were safe, they just aren't as bad as they first appear.) Drivers are very cooperative with other drivers, they expect to give way to each other- and they do. Drivers and pedestrians can do all sorts of things that to us look to be suicidal because they are confident that other drivers will cheerfully make room for each other. Road rage is virtually unknown.

Gday

Sounds a bit like drive to Darwin in the the dry when the grey nomads are migrating!
And yeh...beer helps!!
LOL

Cheers

Yes

Our son spent a lot of time in Asia, whilst in the Army.

He never found out the road toll in Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City, and all the other places he and Robbo visited, but recons its very high.

Traffick is utter chaos, but it works

Cheers
Bucky

I am very keen on the Vietnam trip heard only good things about the place.
Just got back from thialand and hired a Jeep for a day and yes the the road rules are survival of the biggest.

All the best
Eric

Just got back from Vietnam yesterday after a 4 week trip right around the country. Saigon drivers are the worst (if that's possible). Average roadtoll is 33 killed per day across the country (more than 12,000 per year). We saw two fatal accidents while there, one a motorcycle and the other a car into the rear tray of a stationary truck...very messy. Great place to visit and warm, friendly people.

Vietnam, fantastic place and so friendly considering the war and all. Much prefer the North where the western influence is far less than in the south. For anyone going there I can't recommend Sapa in the northern mountains more highly....Go before it gets overrun....

Vietnam - a terrific place with the friendliest people.

1. Road toll is about 12-14,000 per year. My guess is many of them die while waiting for an ambulance. When we were there earlier this year some poor guy on a motor bike got "creamed" by a truck. Bystanders said he would die (if he hadn't already) because the ambulance would not be there for at least an hour... "maybe more". Locals told me ambulances come out to collect bodies .. usually not saving lives.

2. Crossing roads, esp on foot looks like veryone has a death wish, but if you just walk .. and keep walking, everyone seems to miss you. Strangely, when I enquired, I was told that, because they are predominately Buddhist, they are calm (or karma??) and tolerate traffic, delays, pedestrians etc without difficulty. I did not see one incident of "road rage" whe whole time I was there. Scruby would die of despair if he saw it!

But it is a fascinating and lovely place. I'll go back.

Jack

Thanks for the replies. Have been sorting out missed business and just got back onto the laptop.

I have to add that all the comments are true. We saw no road rage and drivers co operated or seemed to.
Crossing the road thats a story on its own but generally safe, although it does not look to be. A travelling companion in Hanoi realised whilst crossing the road that he was going to be hit so being the larger type Aussie he stuck his shoulder into the bloke and braced. The motorcycle driver just wobbled regained direction all with his right hand and kept on texting on his mobile with the left hand. Not a cross word.

I ran into a mate in Saigon who is married and lives and works there most of the year. He reckons the death toll is about 40 a day. We saw three apparent fatal accidents,body at one the other two being cleaned up.

The people are friendly and cheerful. But the tour companies have to be scrutinised carefully. On one bus tour we found our group had paid $5US a head another group $3US and another group $10US. Then it was explained that these prices did not cover other than bus fares.Entry fees etc were an add on. We had arguments going in four languages.

JimDi

I had a 9 month tour there about 40 yrs ago...