TRAFFIC SAFETY POLICY

1. The policy problem

Traffic safety policies in Vietnam have emerged as a critical concern, reflecting a
pressing need for comprehensive measures to address the significant challenges faced by the
nation. The statistics on traffic accidents in Vietnam paint a sobering picture, highlighting the
urgency of reevaluating and enhancing existing public policies. According to data compiled by
the Global Road Safety Facility, Vietnam recorded 24,970 fatalities in 2016, with a substantial
proportion occurring among economically active age groups (15 - 64 years). This alarming trend
underscores the necessity for immediate attention to the shortcomings in current road safety
policies.

One of the key issues plaguing Vietnam's traffic safety landscape is the deterioration of
transportation infrastructure, particularly during road construction or repair. This deterioration
gives rise to numerous road hazards such as potholes and speed bumps, posing significant risks
of traffic accidents. The prevalence of these hazards points to a critical need for infrastructure
improvements as part of an overarching strategy to enhance road safety.

Moreover, the distribution of traffic signs in Vietnam lacks rationality and uniformity, further
complicating the efforts to create a safe and predictable road environment. Inconsistencies in
sign placement and messaging contribute to confusion among road users, exacerbating the
challenges faced by those navigating the streets. This issue necessitates a review of the current
traffic sign system to ensure a standardized and coherent approach that promotes clarity and
adherence to road rules.

Penalties for traffic law violations represent another noteworthy concern. Despite being a crucial
aspect of any effective traffic safety policy, the current penalties are perceived as insufficient
deterrents. This inadequacy raises questions about the effectiveness of existing regulations in
discouraging risky behaviors on the road. Revisiting and strengthening penalties for violations
should be a priority to instill a greater sense of responsibility and compliance among road users.

The observed decline in the number of traffic accidents in recent years offers a glimmer of hope,
suggesting that certain measures may be having a positive impact. However, this decline also
emphasizes the need for sustained efforts to ensure a consistent improvement in road safety. It is
crucial to analyze the factors contributing to this decline and identify effective strategies that can
be replicated and expanded upon.

Discrepancies in reported figures from different sources, such as the General Statistics Office of
Vietnam and the World Health Organization, highlight issues with data collection methods.
Standardizing and ensuring the accuracy of data collection are imperative for informed policy
decisions and a comprehensive understanding of the road safety landscape. A coordinated effort
to establish a reliable and consistent data collection framework is essential for effective policy
making.

Beyond infrastructure and data-related concerns, the prevalence of risky behaviors among road
users poses a significant challenge. A staggering 50% of individuals fail to use turn signals when
changing lanes, and 85% neglect to use horns as prescribed. Additionally, 70% do not engage the
handbrake, 90% disregard proper use of high, low, and fog lights, and 72% neglect helmet use
while riding motorcycles on mandated routes. These behaviors raise questions about the efficacy
of existing regulations and highlight the need for robust enforcement mechanisms.
Addressing the persistent issues of running red lights, driving under the influence,
exceeding load capacities, and speeding requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach.
This approach should involve law enforcement agencies, public awareness campaigns, and
infrastructure improvements. Crafting and rigorously enforcing well-defined public policies are
essential to ensure the safety and well-being of all road users in Vietnam. Furthermore, the
persistent issues of running red lights, driving under the influence of alcohol, exceeding load
capacities, speeding, and lane encroachment continue to be alarming and challenging to
control.According to the data compiled by the Global Road Safety Facility, Vietnam faces a
substantial challenge with a high incidence of traffic accidents, recording 24,970 fatalities in
2016. A noteworthy aspect is the significant proportion of road crash casualties occurring in the
economically productive age groups, specifically those aged 15 to 64 years. The World Health
Organization (WHO) estimated the fatalities at 21,599 for the same year. In contrast, the General
Statistics Office of Vietnam reported a total of 11,448 traffic accidents in 2022, resulting in
6,364 deaths. Despite this grim statistic, there has been a recent decline in the number of traffic
accidents. In 2021, the country witnessed 11,454 traffic accidents, claiming the lives of over
5,700 individuals and causing injuries to nearly 8,000. Moving into 2022, Vietnam experienced
an average of 31 traffic accidents per day, leading to 17 fatalities and 22 injuries. The concerning
data underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the persisting
challenges in road safety.

2. Causes and consequences

 Causes:
 Subjective causes:
 Many people still think that following traffic laws is the responsibility of the
government and do not see how important it is. They frequently undervalue traffic
safety regulations, believing that violations carry little or no consequences. The
reasons for this situation include:
* The communication and instruction of traffic safety have not proven to be very
successful. A lot of traffic safety-related initiatives and programs are still in the formal
stage and have not yet been put into action.
* There is a lack of civic education, and many people do not fully comprehend the
laws governing traffic safety.
* There is not much agreement in society about creating a culture of safe driving.
 A portion of traffic participants have a low level of education and awareness,
leading to traffic violations. They often operate vehicles without proper licensing,
without wearing a helmet, and engage in other non-compliant behaviors. The
reasons for this situation include:
* There is still a lack of civic education, and many people do not know the importance
of following the law.
 * The procedures for managing, instructing, training, and testing applicants for driver's
licenses are not very strict.
* Some users of the traffic have made it a habit to break the law because they believe it
to be normal.
 Objective causes:
 Vietnam's transportation network still has a lot of issues and is unable to keep up
with the country's growing social and economic needs. Many traffic routes are
overcrowded, in poor condition, and do not ensure participant safety. Furthermore,
there are still problems with inadequate traffic planning, which causes congestion
in large cities.
 Traffic safety awareness campaigns and education programs have not been
implemented or proven to be genuinely effective. Numerous initiatives and
programs aimed at increasing traffic safety have not gone deeply into the problem;
instead, they have remained surface-level.
 There is currently insufficient deterrent force and insufficient strictness in the way
traffic safety infractions are handled. Light administrative fines are often the only
punishment for traffic infractions, which is insufficient as a deterrent.
 Consequences:
 Traffic accidents: In Vietnamese society, traffic accidents are a major problem that
result in significant losses in terms of lives lost and property damage. According to
the statistics from the National Traffic Safety Committee, in 2022, there were
20,082 traffic accidents nationwide, resulting in 7,273 fatalities and 17,830 injuries.
 Loss and suffering: The victims' families and loved ones suffer loss and pain as a
result of traffic accidents. Many families with widowed spouses and orphaned
children find themselves in terrible circumstances.
 Impact on the economy and society: Traffic accidents inflict significant economic
and social losses. It is estimated that Vietnam incurs around 30,000 billion VND in
damages due to traffic accidents each year.
*The causes tree analysis:
3. Potential solutions
 Raising the effectiveness of traffic law enforcement:
 Reduces corruption among the traffic police by increasing their welfare along with
higher discipline strictness.
 Increase the number of police, especially on roads with high traffic density.
 Modernize the equipment of the law enforcement units.
 Enhancing the education of traffic law and safe driving culture.
 The traffic law lessons may become an official subject in primary and secondary
school that has its own exam and is compulsory for all students. (I’m sorry)
 The traffic safety awareness raising campaigns and traffic education program can
be improved by organizing on the internet and social media environment to
increase coverage.
 The accessibility of traffic laws and its adjustment need to be increased and
become a more friendly form to the majority.
 Improve the roads network:
 The government should invest more on roads and improve both road number and
quality.
 The private sector should be encouraged to participate in the road construction and
operation process by offering subsidies and tax credit.
 Roads, especially highways that connect large cities, should have a large-scale re-
examination of quality to spot the roads that are downgraded.

*The solution tree analysis:

 4. Choose the best solutions
Evaluating these solutions for traffic subjective and objective improvements
involves considering various criteria such as feasibility, impact, cost-effectiveness, and
sustainability. Let's break down the solutions for subjective improvements based on
evaluative criteria:

1. Raising the effectiveness of traffic law enforcement:

 Feasibility: Increasing welfare and discipline among traffic police is feasible but
requires systemic changes and resources.
 Impact: Could significantly reduce corruption and improve law enforcement
efficiency.
 Cost-effectiveness: Requires investment in welfare and modernizing equipment,
but long-term benefits in reducing corruption might outweigh costs.
 Sustainability: Needs continuous monitoring and support to maintain discipline
and welfare improvements.
2. Enhancing traffic law education:
 Feasibility: Introducing traffic law as a subject is feasible but requires curriculum
adjustments and training for teachers.
 Impact: Could cultivate a culture of safe driving from an early age, potentially
reducing accidents.
 Cost-effectiveness: Initial costs might be high for curriculum changes but could be
beneficial in the long run.
 Sustainability: Regular curriculum updates and teacher training are necessary for
sustained impact.
 3. Improving traffic safety awareness campaigns:
 Feasibility: Using the internet and social media is feasible and reaches a wide
audience.
 Impact: Has the potential to reach a larger audience and increase awareness
effectively.
 Cost-effectiveness: Can be cost-effective compared to traditional media
campaigns.
 Sustainability: Requires consistent content creation and engagement strategies to
sustain impact.

4. Improving the roads network:

 Feasibility: Government investment in roads is feasible but requires substantial
funding and planning.
 Impact: Significant improvement in infrastructure can enhance safety and traffic
flow.
 Cost-effectiveness: Initial investment might be high, but long-term benefits in
safety and economic growth can outweigh costs.
 Sustainability: Regular maintenance and quality checks are crucial for sustained
impact.

5. Encouraging private sector participation:

 Feasibility: Incentivizing private sector participation through subsidies and tax
credits is feasible but requires policy changes.
 Impact: Can expedite road construction and bring in innovative approaches.
 Cost-effectiveness: Government expenditure might be reduced, but the cost of
subsidies and credits needs consideration.
 Sustainability: Depends on the attractiveness of incentives and long-term
partnership models.

In evaluating these solutions, the one that scores high across multiple criteria, such
as impact, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, would likely be the most
advantageous to implement. would likely be the most advantageous to implement. The
best solution would be Improving traffic safety awareness campaigns since it has the
potential to reach a large coverage and increase awareness effectively.

Quiz:
1. Which of the following is the best to describe the current traffic condition in
Vietnam?
A. There are many roads under construction to meet people's needs.
B. The state has no policy to stabilize the traffic and there is no highway connecting
large cities.
 C. Many roads are in poor condition, traffic jams are regular in large cities and the
accident rate is still high.
D. There is insufficient funds to invest in transport infrastructure which caused many
accidents and downgraded roads.
2. What is the major problem of traffic safety in Vietnam ?
A. The majority of people don’t have enough traffic education, the traffic culture in
Vietnam is rather chaotic and the law is not respected.
B. The current traffic conditions are poor, traffic jams are regular and the accident
rate is high.
C. The road network is in a bad situation and there is not enough investment in traffic
infrastructure.
D. The traffic law enforcement agencies are not doing their job properly.
3. What are the causes of the lack of traffic awareness among people ?
A. Police corruption, low civic education, habit to break the law.
B. Police corruption, low civic education, bad traffic culture.
C. Low civic education, habit to break the law, bad traffic culture.
D. Inadequate traffic planning, habit to break the law, bad traffic culture.
4. Which is the consequence of the current traffic safety problem ?
A. Bad impacts on the society and economy.
B. Overcrowded traffic routes in large cities.
C. The corruption of police officers.
D. The roads are downgraded and need maintenance.
5. In this discussion, the solutions are recommended to which aspects ?
A. The law executive system, people’s awareness and the infrastructure.
B. The quality of police, people’s awareness and license granting process.
C. The police corruption, people’s awareness and license granting process.
D. The infrastructure, the economic value and people’s awareness.
6. In this discussion, which of the following is considered an immediate cause of the
problem ?
A. Insufficient police units.
B. Lack appropriate awareness.
C. Inadequate traffic planning.
D. High traffic accident rate.
7. In the presentation, how many criteria is chosen to evaluate the solutions ?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
E. 7
8. Which criteria can be used to consider the cost and benefit of a solution in the long
term ?
A. Impact
B. Feasibility
 C. Sustainability
D. Cost-effectiveness
E. Equity
9. In this discussion, the term “The number of traffic accidents is high” is considered
as:
A. A problem
B. A solution
C. A secondary cause
D. A immediate cause
E. None of the other answer is absolute correct
10. In this discussion, the term “Corruption among police officer ” is considered as:
A. A problem
B. A secondary cause
C. A immediate cause
D. A solution
E. None of the other answer is correct
11. How does the solution “Encouraging private sector participation” in road
infrastructure have an impact on the problem ?
A. Incentivizing private sector participation through subsidies and tax credits is
feasible but requires policy changes.
B. It increases the attractiveness of incentives and long-term partnership models.
C. It can expedite road construction and bring in innovative approaches.
D. Government expenditure might be reduced, but the cost of subsidies and credits
needs consideration.
12. To achieve the long term goal of traffic safety, which aspect of policy should be
considered the most important ?
A. The efficiency of law executive branch
B. The awareness of the people
C. The transportation infrastructure
D. The punishment level of the traffic law itself