Suddenly hit by a car coming out of the alley, Tuyet Hanh fell to the street, her body bruised and her bones broken.
Seeing her fall, one leg being crushed by the motorbike, a male student in uniform - who was sitting on the motorbike, not wearing a helmet, immediately ran away.
The 28-year-old woman from Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, was taken to a medical station for examination because her body had many scratches and her legs could not move. "My vision was blocked, and the person who caused the accident did not honk or look when going out of the alley at high speed, so there was no time to handle it," Hanh said.
Two people riding an electric motorbike without helmets on Dao Tan Street, Ba Dinh District, at noon on March 20. Photo: Quynh Nguyen
Mr. Trong Nghia, 45 years old, from Hai Phong, was also hit by an electric motorbike driven by a student who deliberately ran a red light and cut in front of him. Luckily, he was moving slowly, had a steady grip on the wheel, and reacted promptly, so there were no serious consequences.
"Moving silently at high speed" is how the 38-year-old man describes today's electric motorbikes. According to him, the danger of these situations is because most of the drivers are minors, students, do not understand traffic laws, do not wear helmets, and like to run red lights while the vehicle does not make any noise. "Compared to motorbikes and cars, the penalties for electric motorbikes are too light, so no one is afraid," said Mr. Nghia.
Faced with this situation, on March 15, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung proposed adding regulations on granting driving licenses to drivers of electric motorbikes and vehicles under 50 cc to the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order, and it should be applied to children from 16 to under 18 years old.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development, said that requiring underage motorcyclists to learn traffic laws, take driving tests and obtain driving licenses is very necessary.
"In recent years, the situation of traffic accidents caused by drivers under 18 years old has become more complicated, with many cases even leaving tragic consequences," said Ms. An.
According to statistics from the National Traffic Safety Committee, 90% of traffic accidents involving students aged 16-18 mainly involved motorbikes with cylinder capacity under 50 cm3 and electric vehicles. In 2023 alone, nearly 1,000 children under 18 years old died and 1,300 were injured in traffic accidents. About 80% of the victims were aged 15-18 and were driving the vehicles themselves.
Hanoi traffic police fine students riding motorbikes and electric bicycles without helmets. Photo: Giang Huy
Dr. Khuong Kim Tao, former Deputy Chief of Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee, also agreed with the regulation on driving licenses for people aged 16-18. "Driving electric motorbikes and 50cc motorbikes without following the law also makes other road users feel scared and worried," said Mr. Tao.
Like Tuyet Hanh, after falling and breaking her bones, she developed a fear. Every time she saw a car driven by teenagers, she slowed down and kept her distance. "If they don't avoid me, I'll avoid them. I always look around, because if I get hit, it'll only hurt me," Hanh said.
As for Mr. Nghia, fearing that his 9th grade son would not be able to control his speed while riding an electric motorbike, the man took the motorbike to the shop and asked the mechanic to limit the maximum speed to 25-30 km/h and adjust the lights and horn. He also constantly taught his son about road laws, requiring him to wear a helmet and obey traffic signs and signals every time he went out. "Even if the vehicle is good, if traffic awareness is poor, sooner or later there will be consequences," said Mr. Nghia.
However, some people argue that requiring people under 18 to take a driving license test would be time-consuming, costly and increase social costs.
Ngoc Anh, 17 years old, in Cau Giay district, Hanoi, declared that she is ready to change to another means of transport because she finds it annoying. "In just one year, I will have to continue taking the A1 driving test," the female student said.
Ngoc Anh chooses electric vehicles as her daily means of transportation. Photo: Thanh Nga
Dr. Tao believes that the people's argument is well-founded. The 2008 Road Traffic Law and the 1968 Road Traffic Convention do not stipulate that those aged 16 to 18 must take a driving license test when driving a motorbike with a cylinder capacity of less than 50 cc.
Experts also emphasized that giving people a driving license to understand the law and obey traffic rules is good, but more importantly, it raises awareness among road users, because there are no bad vehicles, only people who drive them incorrectly.
In addition to educational measures with families and schools, experts propose a number of strict sanctions and penalties such as tightening management regulations on vehicle seizure, punishing drivers who do not wear helmets, run red lights, weave in and out, and exceed speed limits.
In 2022, Ms. Thanh Thuy, in Ha Dong district, spent 20 million VND to buy an electric motorbike for her child to go to school. For a year now, the motorbike has been put aside after her son hit a pedestrian for deliberately running a red light.
Although the victim only suffered superficial injuries and did not ask for compensation, Ms. Thuy did not want a similar incident to happen again, so she asked her son to go back to riding a bicycle. In case he had to travel far or on rainy days, she would pick him up and drop him off.
"This is the best way to protect your child and those around them. If your child is not proficient in driving skills and does not understand the road laws, he or she should not participate in traffic," said the 40-year-old woman.
Thanh Nga - Quynh Nguyen
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