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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
Oct 3, 2023
By Ms. Minh Thu
Besides the majestic landscape, delectable cuisine, and hospitable people, Vietnam’s traffic is also an impressive and embarrassing thing when tourists think of Vietnam. A question like How do you cross the street in Vietnam is one of the most frequently asked questions on Google. So in this blog, the Best Vietnam Tours Operator will show you how to safely cross the street in Vietnam as a newbie.
Vietnam is a populous country, with about 90 million people, ranking 3rd after Indonesia and Philippines in SouthEast Asia. The density of population is even higher in big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. The needs of traveling from home to schools, offices and entertainment establishments and vice versa is very high in these cities, so we can observe a tremendous amount of traffic regulating on the streets everyday. In addition, the Vietnamese transport facility is not that high, many narrow roads and valleys still exist, which creates a picture that roads are always full of transportation means and traffic participants, especially in rush hours. Then how do you cross the street in Vietnam?
Vietnam - the kingdom of motorbikes is stated for many reasons. First of all, we can see that the number of motorbikes bought by Vietnamese is very large. According to Vietnam Auto, Motorcycle, and Bicycle Association (VAMM), in 2016, motorbike sales still rose by 9.5 percent, to 3.12 million units compared to the previous year. With motorcycle sales topping 3.12 million units in 2017, Vietnam remained one of the world's top motorcycle markets behind China, India, and Indonesia. Numerous multinational motorcycle manufacturers, including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Piaggio, have their headquarters in this country.
Motorbikes really matter in many Vietnamese daily lives. As mentioned above, the transportation facilities of Vietnam are low in quality and street planning is not that effective, so bulky means such as cars or buses become inferior to small and lean motorbikes. When it comes to weaving through the crowd in rush hours or getting through narrow valleys, these motorbikes really come into their own. It is nothing strange that most families in Vietnam have at least one motorbike.
The first and foremost impression of most tourists when they come to Vietnam is that there are so many motorbikes on the street. The number of motorbikes moving on the streets significantly outnumbers other kinds of means such as cars, bicycles,... Foreigners have never seen so many motorbikes like that as in Vietnam. So, no wonder they dubbed Vietnam as the kingdom of motorbikes. Again, how do you cross the street in Vietnam?
Ask for locals’ help
You are newbies in Vietnam, more particularly, you are totally new to the experience of getting across the streets in Vietnam, so Vietnamese people will definitely help you. Not to mention, Vietnamese people are famous for being supportive and hospitable. So when it comes to getting across the streets, you can ask a local nearby, they will show you how to get across or even lead you across the mess of traffic. You should learn some Vietnamese in advance, which lets them understand what you say to help. Or more easily, you can get the aid of translating tools which are available in any Internet connected smartphone. Then you just need to follow them. Keep doing it a few times before you can do it on your own. This is a good answer to the question: how do you cross the street in Vietnam?
Wait for the red light
This must be the safest, easiest and the most rule-abiding way to cross the streets in Vietnam. At every intersection, you can wait until the traffic light shifts to the red, then “fleets” of traffic vehicles will stop below the pedestrian crossing and give the way for you to go. Make use of this time to get to the other side of the street. However, this way requires you to walk a lot more if the destination you want to drop by is far from the traffic lights, then you have to walk longer than it is necessary. Moreover, when the traffic light has just turned left, you still should watch out for upcoming scooters and motorbikes. Because these vehicles still want to scramble even if they should have stopped to give you the way.
Closely follow others
Given that you don't see any traffic lights in front of your eyes, or you are too tolerant to ask others for help, then there is still another way to help you deal with this situation. You should observe whether there is any other person or group of people who are intending to cross the street or not. If you encounter one, you should get close to them, stand behind them. And when they start to move, you also take the first steps, and keep doing til you get to the “finish line”. These strange people unexpectedly become your heroes who come to your aid at the perfect time. Not just tourists to Vietnam, many local people, who are afraid of crossing the streets also use this way.
Learn to cross the streets yourself
So how do you cross the street in Vietnam by yourself? There is a famous rule regulated amongst the travelers’ community is that keep going ahead when it comes to crossing the streets here. When you show you are persistent and confident enough, the traffic will avoid you really smoothly. In contrast, if your steps are not even, you can create a more messy situation. At this time, the traffic continuously gives acute sounds of hooters, you are more scared and stop in the middle of the street. Then this can become the worst experience ever while you are in Vietnam. Therefore, you should stick to the rule because it is absolutely true. Besides, you can put your arm in the air to express that you want to cross the street. This small gesture can effectively make the speed of traffic slow down and more people will automatically give the way for you.
The state of being messy is one characteristic of Vietnamese streets that make many people tired of. However, this is the very unique trait that makes foreigners impress, love and recall when they return home.
Even though getting across the street in Vietnam is such a thrilling and challenging experience, this is also an interesting activity and a special memory that they can find hard to try in other countries.
Of the many famous places in Hanoi, many tourists surprisingly get impressed by the Train Street in Hanoi. This place is unique by the proximity between the railroad and roadsides, where many shops, cafes and food stalls gather along, being both special and dangerous at the same time. Yet many tourists show interest in this Train Street. They come here to drink Vietnamese coffee, take photos and enjoy the sound pulse of the train bringing about for the Street.
In addition, the image of vendors also contributes to the uniquely vivid picture of Vietnamese streets. Pavements are designed for pedestrians only. However, in Vietnam, these sidewalks have another function - which is the paradise of Vietnamese street food. These vendors can prepare, cook and showcase eye-catching and mouth-watering dishes right in front of your eyes. Buyers also sit on folding stools, and enjoy the food on the pavements. Many tourists consider this as an attractive trait of Vietnam’s streets and one of the most memorable images when they recall Vietnam.
1. How common are traffic accidents in Vietnam?
Over 11.5 thousand traffic accidents occurred in Vietnam in 2022, a little decrease from the year before. The number of traffic accidents in the nation has gradually dropped over time.
2. Why is Hanoi traffic so bad?
Due to a combination of poor infrastructure and a sharp increase in the number of private vehicles, traffic in Hanoi has grown increasingly difficult.
3. Are traffic jams common in Vietnamese cities?
In Vietnam, congestion happens on a regular basis, especially in major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang, since these cities are overpopulated and the transportation facilities are pretty poor.
4. How bad is Vietnam's traffic jam compared to Thailand?
Vietnam’s traffic jam is even worse than Thailand’s traffic jam. Because Thailand has a better infrastructural system and urban planning, not to mention the population is not as much as in Vietnam.
5. What causes traffic jam in Vietnam?
The rapid increase of private vehicles along with poor infrastructure has caused increasingly complicated traffic in Hanoi, including bad traffic jam.
How do you cross the street in Vietnam and now you know the answer. We hope that the above information will be helpful and effective to you. So just be confident and keep moving to merge into the traffic and merge into the hustle and bustle of Vietnam!
