The conciousness of traffic in Vietnam

The stories reflect about conciousness of traffic in Vietnam is not a new

problem and there are not less articles write about this status. However, is
there anyone in Vietnam can aware that question always stay in smallest
things we have forgot. In the long run, these matters clearly becomes a big
bad habit of almost Vietnamese people.

Three-second red light and three-second yellow light

What was the first thing did we learn about traffic when we was a child? Green
traffic light is go, yellow light is to slow down your verhicle’s speed and the red traffic
signal is stop. Basically, this is what you learned and taught your children. The ugly truth
about traffic in Vietnam, learning is one job and practicing is another different job. Green
traffic light is run, yellow light is to increase your speed to pass the cross, and the left
three seconds is to go. According to a survey of CCIHP by Pham Vu Thien and Dinh
Phuong Nga, the average number of stoplights you have to meet in a day below 4 points
is 24%, from 5 to 8 points is 40% and over 9 points is 34%. So how many people do not
go in three seconds left of red light and decrease the speed in three seconds of yellow
light? The answer is 2% in over standing crop.

Interesting picture of 3-second red light status (Source: Internet)

 The story of 3 seconds of red lights gradually became a habit of the Vietnamese.
When the red light is 6 7 seconds they start blasting and when there are 3 seconds they go
away. The funny thing is that most people who pass 3 seconds of red light are between
the ages of 25 and 60. Yes, they are middle-aged and young. Even if the lights are still 3
seconds but you will not go, the people in the back will start blowing the whistle and can
even swear again. Speaking of red lights, it is impossible not to mention the yellow light.
The story of 3 seconds of yellow light in Vietnam is also very interesting as everyone
from children to the old school had learnt that the yellow light is to slow down and
waiting for the red light to stop when the yellow light is on. However, turn the gas as fast
as possible to cross the crossroads is exactly what people doing when thay are riding in
real life . Let me tell my own story like this. It was like a normal day when I was riding a
motorcycle to school for a long distance. Then, in accordance with the law, the yellow
light was on when the motorcycle was about 50 meters off the line I slowed down. When
the red light just counted 1, the motocycle just stopped at the right time, suddenly behind
me was another motorcycle rushed straight to my motorcycle. It turned out that because I
was speeding down according to the law and the other car was trying to get to the station
to pass, so the accident finally happened. But strange here, the man on that motorcycle
turned around and yell at me why I not run fast and stop for what? Oh wait? Did I do
something wrong here? And that is why I call this is the habit of most Vietnamese.
Because when it comes to habit, you will obviously feel right.
For a simple example, a traffic light intersection with a traffic light on a lane is a
yellow light. On the long side the red light is at the last 3 seconds. On the side of the
yellow light, a man is trying to turn the station up to 50 kilometers per hour to cross the
crossroads, but on the other side of the line another woman crosses the last three seconds
of the red light because she hurried up to pick up her child at school at a rate of 40
kilometers per hour and what came next. Accident occurs. Let's see this pie chart below.
 According to the Traffic Police Department of Vietnam about the cause of traffic
accidents in 2016, 11% of accidents resulted from the failure to comply with traffic lights,
6% caused by pass red lights and 9% caused by run over speed. So, if you do not want
yourself forever can not go to school, can not never pick up your child back to school,
can not go to eat with family, etc… Please do not exceed in 3 seconds red light and slow
down in 3 seconds light yellow.

Solution
In mid-2017, two students in Tien Giang Province have successfully invented the
warning devices for those who deliberately cross red lights to help reduce traffic
accidents. They are Pham Minh Hieu and Tran The Vinh, 12A10, Vinh Kim High School,
Dong Hoa Commune, Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province.
Applying the knowledge learned from the school, further research through books, the
Internet and exchanging with teachers teaching, these two students have created the
device warning people intentionally passing the red light include: control circuit
Electronic, optical use consists of a transmission part of a lazer that sends out a signal to
the receiver. The receiver is an optical sensor that receives signals from the transmitter
and controls the operation of the warning. The warning part is a ringing system, a lamp
that is connected to the receiver which sends out a warning signal to the traffic offender.
These devices operate according to the principle, when the traffic light turns red, the
device will operate. If a traffic stopper crosses the limit line, the device will signal a voice
prompt, "You have exceeded the mark, please go back." When traffic participants
deliberately cross the red light, they capture and save.
This device will replace the traffic police stationed at the red lights, reminders, raising
awareness of people involved in traffic. With a simple, compact design, the price is about
700,000 VND, the installation of this equipment on a large scale will not cost much.
However, in fact, Vietnam is still a developing country spending a large amount of
money to install equipment throughout the national transport system. Is this installation
really necessary when the only key to this problem lies in the consciousness of the
Vietnamese people? And how long will this installation take to cover the whole country?
The result may be that we will have to wait for the change of state or change in the
perception of each of us.

Refferences
http://www.hvcsnd.edu.vn/vn/Acedemy/Thong-tin-An-toan-giao/206/6344/Tinh-hinh-
trat-tu-an-toan-giao-thong-nam-2016-tren-pham-vi-toan-quoc.aspx
http://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc-khuyen-hoc/2-hoc-sinh-vao-thang-dai-hoc-nho-sang-
che-thiet-bi-canh-bao-giao-thong-20160804161338905.htm