Vietnam driving ranked among most dangerous for tourists

By Hoang Phong December 16, 2022 | 05:50 pm PT

Foreign tourists prepare to hit the road on motorbikes in Quan Ba District in Ha Giang Province in Vietnam's northern highlands. Photo by Minh Nga

Vietnam is fourth on the list of seven most dangerous places in the world for tourists to drive, alongside neighbors Thailand and Malaysia, according to data analytics research company The Swiftest.

The Swiftest measured road safety levels at 50 of the world’s leading destinations, based on the number of "adverse events" per 100,000 inhabitants per year.

Dominican Republic has the world's highest road traffic death rate at 64.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam, the company said, citing data from the World Health Organization.

The WHO counted 24,970 deaths in Vietnam in 2018, a rate of 26.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, around 5,800 people were killed in traffic accidents in Vietnam last year, mostly on the roads, down from 6,700 in 2020.

The Swiftest list of safest destinations for tourists to drive were Singapore, Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, the U.K. and Japan.

The company also added that Vietnam is known as one of the safest Southeast Asian countries to visit – "at least when it comes to violence and petty crime."

Traffic accidents remain the largest single cause of fatalities in Vietnam even as the country works hard to make local roads safer.

Traffic congestion, inadequate law enforcement, poor driving skills and bad street conditions are often cited as the main reasons for road crashes in Vietnam.

Vietnam has emerged one of the most ideal destinations for solo travel in recent years, and many foreign tourists are keen on renting motorbikes to explore the country.

However, several foreigners die in road accidents here in recent years.