Traffic in Hanoi during 'rush hour'

I sat above a traffic circle in Hanoi watching the chaos having a beer!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Hanoi
• Vietnam
• Traffic
• Rushhour

[leaott]

Update: I shot this 3 yrs ago and since moved and lived in Saigon Vietnam for a year. My biggest accomplishment was to get my own motorbike and learn how to ride in this seemingly chaotic traffic. Driving like a local was my favorite thing I did in Vietnam.

To read about my journey of how I learned to ride in this traffic - read my blog series: The Motorbike Diaries

Vol. 1 - start here and read all 17

ottsworld [dot] com/blogs/the-motorbike-diarie­s-vol-1/

[leaott]

Apparently they are working on a subway - but it's been in the works for about 5 years now! However - this is what I loved about Hanoi - the chaos...it seems like chaos to us...but it's all normal and functional to them - no one was complaining about it!

[JasonLIKESturtles]

americans gotta learn from this. they could lower the amounts of accidents by over 50%

[darkgearz]

this is not a rush hour this is pretty much everyday

[Idellle]

I go would get crazy there when I think stockholm streets are busy

[MrTaLaai]

Asians are the best at acrobatic driving and moving, not like fat American except me.

[Bcboi92]

and they say asians can't drive

[hebneh]

People watching these videos of Vietnamese traffic often treat it like a joke, or say that it looks like fun, or that it runs smoothly and that it's better than in countries with strict traffic control. I've never been to Vietnam but I do know from news reports that traffic injuries and deaths are very high there, and that the government is trying to get people to follow basic safety rules - not with much success, it looks like.

[cookatp4]

It looks crazy but it's not dangerous at all never kill anyone

[OzTerri]

i just got back yesday from HCMC and Hanoi (traffic in HCMC seems more chaotic but i may have been jetlagged) also in Hanoi there is more appreciation of pedestrian crossings. i liken the millions of "scooters" to being surrounded by a flowing RIVER. despite proximity of millions of other road users and traffic snarls, there is never a temper tantrum. this marks the difference to Oz drivers and the ever present "finger". Oz could learn about co-operation and patience of drivers in Viet Nam.

[LostKoetzsch]

people working together each with their own goals

this is organized chaos

it looks like the future to me

[romboy2008]

@Solblader Agree. That for him was like driving down an interstate at 2am lol

[cookatp4]

But no accidents at all!