Reuters reports that helmets are now required to be worn when travelling on a motorcycle in Vietnam.

The move comes at a time when nearly 13,000 people are killed each year in motorcycle accidents, and half of which are brain injuries.

According to the report, Vietnam seems to be more concerned about losing its young workforce to motorcycle injuries than anything else...

The sickening toll on the young labor force year after year seems finally to have spurred the communist government and the general public into action.

Speaking days before the rule came into force, Lap said his hospital treated 50-70 traffic accident patients a day, most of working age and 30 percent aged between 18 and 25.

Labels: Vietnam

Apparently, throughout Vietnam, the government is running a series of advertisements trying to coerce their citizens into wearing helmets.

Here's an example of one such ad...



I discovered these ads on another motorcycle blog, "Twisting Asphalt". I tried to post a comment on that blog in response to something the blogger said, something about not understanding why bikers don't wear helmets. However, his blog requires a captcha to validate the comment, and his blog software produces a broken URL to the captcha image, showing only a red "x".

So, I'm commenting on my blog instead.

The reason why these ads make sense in Vietnam is because ALL injuries are paid by public funds.

In the USA however, the majority of motorcycle injuries are liability cases, in which another party is charged with compensation. If that party doesn't have adequate coverage, then the injured rider's uninsured/underinsured policy kicks in. If the injury is not a liability case, then the injured rider's own health insurance policy pays for it. Very rarely does a motorcycle injury become absorbed by the State.

That's why helmets are a personal freedom issue in the USA.

If you disagree that motorcycle injuries rarely become absorbed by the State, consider that no one has actually quantified this. Proponents of helmet laws have pounded the "public healthcare burden" for years, while never actually proving it. I've yet to see any comprehensive studies on this. Proponents figure it makes sense, and that people are gullible enough to believe it.

ALL bikers agree, however, that a helmet will reduce the severity of an injury, but very few will agree that it will prevent an injury. Many bikers point to evidence that it actually exacerbates neck injuries, which is actually the larger cause of death and permanent disability.

The reason why accidents are on the rise is because a comfort factor has grown with cars and motorcycles. Safer cars, improved technology, airbags, mandatory seatbelts, anti-lock brakes, have all turned bad drivers into comfortable drivers. The same is true with motorcycles. The majority of accidents are caused by drivers and riders either not paying attention, or doing stupid things.

Forcing people to wear a helmet puts a bandaid on a big problem.

If a serial shooter was on the loose, firing at random citizens, do go after the shooter, or do you force everyone to wear bullet-proof vests? My solution is focus on bad drivers and riders.

Eliminate the problem, and we'll all be safer AND freer.

Labels: Helmet Laws, Vietnam

The Associated Press reports on Harley Davidson's quest to expand its reach into Asia.

Vietnam is apparently one of the countries they're eyeing. Vietnam? Who there can afford a Road King Classic or even a 883 Sportster? Vietnamese look at motorcycles strictly as utility. They pack tons of cargo on their 125cc bikes, and even haul the whole family, including the wife and four kids.

Why would they spend more money on a Sportster that carries the same load?

India, on the other hand, seems like a good call. Folks there are taking up all the high-tech jobs these days, from computer programming, database administration, to tech support. I'm sure they can afford a Harley, and can grasp the concept of joy riding.

The question I have, is will they wear leather?

Labels: Harley Davidson, India, Vietnam

This video is amazing.

It shows seemingly thousands of poeple on scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles crossing a busy intersection every minute in Saigon, Vietnam. How do they not crash into each other?

And you wonder why some people don't like riding in groups?

Labels: Vietnam

IMG_1736
Originally uploaded by fionab.

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Three adults and two kids riding a moped in Vietnam.

Labels: Photos, Vietnam

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it will build a new subsidiary in in Hanoi, Vietnam, to produce engine parts for motorcycles. Yamaha made the decision in response to increasing sales of motorycles in Vietnam. The new plant will have the capacity to produce one million die-cast motorcycle engine parts, such as cylinder heads, and 900,000 steel parts, such as gears and transmissions.

Construction will begin in February 2005, and operations are expected to start in January 2006.

Labels: Manufacturing, Vietnam, Yamaha