How to cross Saigon’s streets confidently and safely

Swamps of charging motorcycles could be terribly intimidating to tourists!

Oncoming traffic consisting of hoards of motorcycles can be very intimidating to anyone new to Vietnam and trying to cross the road. Downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by localvietnam.com

Understanding the Traffic in Vietnam

Before explaining the tips of crossing the streets in Vietnam, we need to understand the traffic situation in Vietnam. Vietnamese cities are known for their bustling traffic, which can be terrifying and overwhelming for pedestrians. In Western countries, traffic rules generally dictate that pedestrians be given the right of way. But in Vietnam, motorbikes and cars have the right of way.

Pedestrians have to navigate through a sea of motorbikes, cars, and buses to make it to the other side of the road. The trick is to always keep an eye out for vehicles and to make slow and steady movements when crossing the road. It is important not to suddenly run or change your pace which may cause surprise the motorcyclists and cause them to unintentionally hit you.

Before explaining the tips of crossing the streets in Vietnam, we need to understand the traffic situation in Vietnam. Vietnamese cities are known for their bustling traffic, which can be terrifying and overwhelming for pedestrians. In Western countries, traffic rules generally dictate that pedestrians be given the right of way. But in Vietnam, motorbikes and cars have the right of way.

Pedestrians have to navigate through a sea of motorbikes, cars, and buses to make it to the other side of the road. The trick is to always keep an eye out for vehicles and to make slow and steady movements when crossing the road. It is important not to suddenly run or change your pace which may cause surprise the motorcyclists and cause them to unintentionally hit you.

General advice:

1) Find a local to cross together with you — they can read situation better. Locals are used to the traffic and can help you navigate through the chaos. You can also follow a local’s lead when crossing the street. If you’re still feeling unsure about crossing the streets in Vietnam, try to find a local to help you out.

2) Walk slowly and steadily and don’t panic. Don’t change your pace or suddenly run. Leave it to the motorcyclists to swerve by adjusting their speed and direction to avoid hitting you. When crossing the street, it’s essential to walk slowly and steadily. This will give drivers enough time to see you and avoid hitting you. Avoid making sudden movements or running across the street.

3) Use Hand Signals -Using hand signals can also help to communicate your intention to cross to the motorcyclists. Put your hand out when crossing to signal to drivers that you’re crossing the road. You can also use hand signals to indicate which way you’re going.

4) Use zebra crossings if they are available. These crossings are designed for pedestrians, but in Vietnam, some motorcyclists/drivers may not likely to stop for pedestrians at these crossings. Raise your hand to show your intention to cross. Be fully alert when crossing, do keep in mind that not all motorcyclists/ drivers will stop at zebra crossings, so it’s still essential to be fully alert. Not all drivers stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings in Vietnam. Pedestrians have to navigate through a sea of motorbikes, cars, and buses to make it to the other side of the road.

5) Stay Calm — Crossing the streets in Vietnam can be overwhelming, but it’s important to stay calm. If you panic, you’re more likely to make sudden movements and put yourself at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

6) Be Patient — Sometimes, it can take a few minutes to find a gap in traffic when crossing the street in Vietnam. It’s important to be patient and wait for a safe time to cross the road.

Be careful of snatch thieves when crossing

When crossing the street in Vietnam, keep your belongings close to you. This includes your phone, wallet, and camera. Thieves on motorbikes are known to snatch bags from pedestrians who are not paying attention, so it’s important to keep your belongings close and be aware of your surroundings.

When crossing the street in Vietnam, it is essential to be aware of your surroundings. Avoid wearing headphones as they can distract you from traffic noise and put you at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

Seemingly endless streams of on-rushing motorcycles coming at you can be frightening for any tourists crossing the roads in Vietnam. Zebra crossing may not be respected/or understood by motorcyclists in Vietnam, so bc careful. Downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by vietnamvisaembassy.com

Hoards of oncoming traffic motorcycles Downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by istockphoto.com

Just confidently walk steadily onto the oncoming traffic and leave it to the motorcyclists to adjust their speed and direction to avoid you. Motorcyclists travel at slow speeds so it is easy for them to swerve around to avoid hitting you. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by jackfruitadventure.com.

Pedestrians faced with hoards of oncoming traffic of motorcycles can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with Vietnam. Walk steadily and don’t make any sudden movement which may surprise the motorcyclists. Leave it to them to avoid hitting you. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by cucphuong.net

Walk confidently and steadily to cross the road. Move at a steady, predictable pace and do not suddenly run. Leave it to the motorists to swerve around you by adjusting their speeds and direction to avoid hitting you. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by shamakern.com

Walk confidently and steadily without making any sudden movements to surprise the motorists. Move at a steady, predictable pace and do not suddenly run. Leave it to the motorists to swerve around you by adjusting their speeds and direction to avoid hitting you. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by asiamystika.com

Avoid trucks and buses and let them pass first

When confronted with oncoming traffic, look out all for the trucks and buses and get out of their way at all costs, because trucks and buses cannot swerve around to avoid pedestrians. They use air horns to blast at pedestrians in front of them and expect them to get out of the way for them. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by Vietnam-tour.biz

There about 40 fatal accidents on the streets of Vietnam almost every day and most of them involve trucks, buses and cars, so avoid crossing in front of them.

Be aware that trucks, buses and cars cannot swerve around or change course to avoid you, they have to stay their course and it is you who must keep out of their way and to avoid them. Trucks and buses are fitted with air horns for that purpose — to blast them to warn any motorcyclists or pedestrians to get out the way to avoid hitting them.

Be extra vigilant against industrial trucks and let them pass before crossing the roads. Trucks are heavy and have to stay their course. They blast their air horns at any motorcyclists/pedestrians to get them out of the way. They cannot swerve to avoid pedestrians/motorcyclists but expect them to get out of their way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by alamy.com

Look out for buses and let them pass before crossing the roads. Buses here cannot swerve to avoid pedestrians but have to stay their straight course. They are instead fitted with air horns to blast at pedestrians/motorcyclists in front of them and expect them to get out of their way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by The Himalayan Times.

Using Zebra Crossings to cross

Try to cross at the same time as locals. Be fully aware when crossing using zebra crossings as motorcyclists might not honour the rule of giving way to pedestrians. Many motorcyclists don’t give way to pedestrians because traffic police there don’t uphold the right of way of zebra crossings or hold motorcyclists liable for not giving way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by jackfruitadventure.com.

In Vietnam, zebra crossings may not be respected by all motorcyclists as traffic police there seldom bother to uphold the law concerning zebra crossings. As a result, many motorcyclists don’t bother to stop for pedestrians to cross. They will ignore you if you stop before a zebra crossing. It is wiser to raise your arm as you stop in front of a zebra crossing to indicate you wish to cross.

As you cross using a zebra crossing, you should stay fully alert to oncoming traffic, especially trucks, buses and cars as they may not stop for you. They may blast their air horns at you as they expect you to get out of their way.

It is advisable to raise one’s hand when crossing using zebra crossings as motorcyclists might not honour the rule of giving way to pedestrians. Many motorcyclists don’t give way to pedestrians because traffic police there don’t uphold the right of way of zebra crossings or hold motorcyclists liable for not giving way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by Bleacher Report.

It is advisable to raise one’s hand when crossing using zebra crossings as motorcyclists might not honour the rule of giving way to pedestrians. Many motorcyclists don’t give way to pedestrians because traffic police there don’t uphold the right of way of zebra crossings or hold motorcyclists liable for not giving way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by vietnamescapetours.com.

When using zebra crossings, always be alert and be wary as many motorcyclists might not be bothered to give way to pedestrians because traffic police don’t hold motorcyclists liable for not giving way. Picture downloaded under Free Use pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, with comments added for blogging and educational purposes. Picture credit by exploreseasia.com.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to cross the roads while in Vietnam. The traffic rules may be different from other countries. The following general rules should be observed:

1) Cross with the locals — they know best how to read the situation

2)Do not cross in front of trucks, buses, cars: let them pass first

3)Walk steadily & confidently, don’t suddenly change your pace

4)Leave it to motorcyclists to adjust speed, direction to avoid you

5) use zebra crossings, raise your hand to show you wish to cross

Crossing the streets in Vietnam can be quite different from crossing the streets in Western countries. In Western countries, pedestrians are given the right of way, and drivers are expected to stop for pedestrians at pedestrian crossings. However, in Vietnam, pedestrians have to navigate through a sea of motorbikes, cars, and buses to make it to the other side of the road.

Crossing the streets in Vietnam can be intimidating, but with the right tips and tricks, it can be done safely. Always remember to look both ways, walk slowly and steadily. Don’t make any sudden change of pace or suddenly run — it may surprise any motorcyclists and cause panic.

I wish you safe crossings in Vietnam’s roads and happy shopping!

Thank you for reading my blog!

[Note: Pursuant to Section 107 of the Copyright Act, images downloaded and used in this blog constitute ‘Fair Use’ for the purposes of news reporting as they are for non-profit education purposes.]

I am Kieth Scott, and I can be hired for freelance writing, please contact me at kiethscott777@gmail.com