Preview

The Streets of Vietnam – a Fatality Every 45 Minutes

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
578 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Streets of Vietnam – a Fatality Every 45 Minutes
Rewrite a critical response essay to the article ‘The Streets of Vietnam – a Fatality Every 45 Minutes’
The traffic situation in Vietnam has become a burden to not only citizens but also the government due to its high number of fatalities from accidents. In the article ‘The Streets of Vietnam – a Fatality Every 45 Minutes’, published in Siam regional Review (October, 2007), Milers Walker suggests several solutions to reduce traffic injuries issues in Vietnam. This essay will critically respond to three of his primary arguments.
Walker asserts that a significant rise in petrol tax can decrease `the amount of discretionary travel’ and also contribute to the government’s revenue, which may be used to upgrade and build more transport systems. However, he fails to consider the fact that almost all people ride motorbikes to travel to work, to school or even to visit relatives and motorbikes are considered the most suitable vehicle for transport in Vietnam. Meanwhile, an increase in petrol tax might not decrease the number of vehicles but it may put more financial pressure on the poor who also have demands to travel. Furthermore, although the benefits of improving infrastructure cannot be ignored, the author does not give any evidence to illustrate how much it would cost and how long it would take the government to develop these systems.
The author further argues that introducing compulsory stringent licensing regulations, which include practical and safe driving skills, the rise in the age of drivers to twenty, limiting speed and minimizing the number of people per motorbike, can be other effective ways to reduce traffic accidents. While his suggestion seems very convincing, he marginalizes people who have just got the age of consent, which is eighteen in Vietnam. They are considered mature enough to be responsible for their decisions, so they ought to have the right to ride motorbikes. Also, in addition to limiting the number of people per motorbike, to adapt

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Motorcycle Safety

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “Motorcycle rider deaths were nearly 30 times more than drivers of other vehicles” (D.O.T 7). Figures like this present an insight into the continuing problem represented by motorcycles. “Motorcycle accidents continue to be a growing problem as of 2008 5,290 were killed as a result of motorcycle accidents which is an increase of %2 over 2007” (Motorcycle Safety Foundation 4). Though the issue continues to grow, there is much to be done to put down the problem and save lives. The main issue is from the start, riders need much more rigorous training. Today you only take a computer or written test for a permit, which states you’re not allowed to ride at night or on the interstate but still allows you to ride during the day by yourself. You could get one of these permits with no riding experience what so ever, this is completely unacceptable for our society. Then to obtain your license you do a course test on your bike, where you weave through some cones and make a u turn and that’s it you can ride when ever where ever. “Adding injury to insult, helmet laws vary by state some don’t require one period some after 18 and so on” (Snyder 1). In Arizona after your 18th birthday coupled with the little safety experience the rider may have…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Whether you are an officer flying above enemy territory in an assault helicopter, or a news reporter covering the story of a military attack, the POV, or point of view, from which an event is experienced determines to a large degree how the story is told. With a situation as controversial at the Vietnam War, it is no surprise that there were rarely consistent perspectives on the events taking place in Vietnam. Of course, is it simply human nature to skew situations or events to represent them in your favor, however, when it comes to fatal battles being fought between two world countries, it is important that the situations are represented as accurately as possible. The world deserves to be able to formulate their opinions regarding an event such as the Vietnam War, and in order to do that properly, an accurate, consistent, truthful “POV” is necessary.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Through the first hand accounts described in the letters of soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War, it is quite prevalent that the conditions and average days in Vietnam were far from a pleasant experience. Although they “attempt to make due with what they have”, as an anonymous soldier states in his letter home, it is quite difficult to enjoy their stay. The largest problem among the soldiers is they had no notion as to what exactly it was they were fighting for, yet continued to fight; many didn’t even believe they had a chance at leaving Vietnam with victory in their hands. One young soldier, who remains anonymous, wrote to his brother of his inability to comprehend the war he was fighting and further extended this comment to not understanding war as a whole. The focus of the Vietnam War differed greatly from that of other wars in American history; The goal was no longer to conquer territory, but kill the enemy in cold blood. This scarred not only the soldiers, but also the nurses tending to the wounded soldiers. Although textbooks may display a more valiant outlook of what the war was like, nothing can better…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The war in Vietnam in the 1960’s was an extremely controversial topic among the American public. America’s role in the war was questionable, and thousands of young men were drafted into the army against their own personal beliefs. In If I Die in a Combat Zone , author Tim O'Brien argued that the Vietnam War was unjust through his depictions of violent events during the war, how the war affected both the soldiers and innocent civilians, and the inhumane duties required of the soldiers.…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The huge number of car crashes caused by young drivers is an issue which is now being strongly debated in Australia. According to the new research released on 7 April 2010 by Carhistory.com.au, Australia’s most comprehensive vehicle history website, one in ten Australian teenagers have had a car accident (Coffey, J 2010). Due to that serious fact, an idea of increasing the driving age to 18 with a minimum of 18 months on ‘P’ plates has been suggested to reduce the number of teens’ deaths by car accidents. Although that proposal will lead to some inconvenience for young drivers, it can prevent them from unsafe and immature way of driving, which guarantees the reduction on teens crashes.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nowadays a widespread discussion about the problem of young drivers has taken place among Australian public. Concerning the disproportionately high number of young casualties and the continuous road accidents involving teenagers, police, parents, experts, young people, and other public express their opinions about how to tackle this severe problem. Some of them claim that laws and restrictions should be reinforced as they are the most effective way, while others argue that more resources should be committed into education. Undoubtedly, we should try any possible method that might help reduce the death and injuries of young drivers. But after all, laws and restrictions are the most fundamental solution.…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hanoi is the center of finance, business and culture of Vietnam. With the population of approximately 7 million, it is the second biggest city of the “S-shaped” country. The very first impression about Hanoi that amazes every tourist from Western countries is the number of motor-vehices. Motor cycles are everywhere. You can see from an ordinary worker to a young businessman in expensive suit with an iPhone in his hand hustling to work on a motorcycle. Using a motorbike is a smart and fast way to travel on such crowded streets in rush hours in Hanoi.…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Studies have shown that the number one cause of death in teenagers is car accidents (Source 1). Many people think that a simple solution would be to raise the minimum driving age. However, this would not change the number of deaths, but simply shift them onto another age group. Statistics show that it is not young age that causes accident fatalities, but the lack of experience of the driver. 15 through 17 year olds have restriction and mandatory education, while 18 year olds do not. The lack of experience of 18 year old, new drivers causes a sky rocket in accident fatalities, due to people waiting until 18 to get their licenses and escape the driving restrictions. The solution is to place restrictions on all new drivers, regardless of…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Global Burden of Mva

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Motor vehicle accidents killed around 1.24 million deaths last year worldwide, (WHO 2013). This trend of motor vehicle accidents is projected to increase to 3rd of the world’s burden of disease (Shanthi Ameratunga, Martha Hijar, Robyn Norton 2006) from its current position of 10th in top causes of death worldwide just behind diseases like Diabetes 9th, Tuberculosis 8th, Lung cancers 9th and HIV/AIDS 8th (WHO 2010). This essay aims to investigate, compare and contrast the global impact (mortality, economic cost and morbidity) and the burden (DALY disability-adjusted life years) of motor vehicle accidents, with special emphasis on the newly emerging economy (Thailand) and developed country (Australia). We will discuss the magnitude, distribution and the determinants that exist between the two countries, and introduce implementation program that has been successful in reducing the death toll. The central theme of this paper will be to highlight the impact of MVA on the population health, and to compare the different strategies used by the two nations in order to bring down the impact of MVA.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ptd In Vietnam

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Regardless of whether one refers to the United States' military involvement in Vietnam as a "war," or if one prefers to use the more commonly-used, (albeit, more historically accurate) term: "Military Conflict," the effects caused by this historical tragedy remains obvious to anyone who has ever bypassed a homeless veteran on the street begging for spare change. Likewise, one only needs to pass by the endless lines that trail out from amongst the front doors of the emergency room at the Long Beach Veteran's Hospital to realize the profound devastation and its relative effects the war had on the United States.…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When you are driving do you think about who all is around you? The age of those people, how much experience they have behind the wheel? Many of us don’t, and this has lead to the continued rise of motor vehicle accidents involving teenagers and young adults. We talk of ways in which to reduce the accident rates we see developing in our current day society due to car accidents, and most of them are continually rejected. One of the first and least popular idea is raising the driving age from 16 to 18 years of age. This mainly is due to the lack of decision making in the teenage brain at the age of 16, causing wrecks due to slow and indecisive decision making. Another solution to this problem is the ban of cellphone use while behind the wheel.…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “French imperialists … have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice” (Minh 1). Ho Chi Minh describes the effects of French colonization in a similarly to Frantz Fanon, who writes about practical and moral violence as a response to psychological and physical violence (Fanon). Practical violence has a clear purpose. As a means to an end it is undeniable, unstoppable and effective in recruiting a people to force change. Moral violence is a method of responding to unjustness. It allows the dehumanized to respond to subjugation, to unify and overcome division, and to build solidarity. In Algeria and Vietnam, practical…

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This research is about road safety statistics in Australia and Vietnam included the accident rates, the road traffic death rates and the majority’s age of death and injuries. In addition, we will compare the statistics in Australia to one in Vietnam and explain the results of this comparison. The purpose of the research is to make some suggestions to improve the road safety statistics in Vietnam through the information above.…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Earlier this year last October, Kieran Turner, a spokesman for NZTA (New Zealand Transportation Agency) mentioned teenage car accidents are still the “single biggest killer of teenagers” nationally (“Car crashes biggest teen killer”). Additionally, according to statistics gathered by the Federal Highway Administration, drivers 19 years old and under came in second on the rank in amount of fatal accidents, being 3,272 total, both females and males (Federal Highway Administration). The group which came in first was the 20 to 24 years old drivers with an amount of 5,600 total fatal accidents (Federal Highway Administration). From looking at the statistics, there clearly is a sign showing that action needs to be taken into consideration in order to drop these rates. Age rather in comparison to experience, is the actual top cause of traffic incidents among teenagers. Though, the age does go in a relation to experience, but every driver is different. Explorations need to occur with new drivers and the link with high amounts of car accidents, with the help of an increase in supervised…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays