Experience to save life when going downhill in Tam Dao, should I go by motorbike or scooter?

On April 20, a video clip of two girls riding a scooter down a hill in Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc province) suddenly crashing into a guardrail attracted the attention of the online community.

The video footage shows the moment the two were going downhill but the brakes did not appear to work, causing the car to continue at high speed. The impact was so strong that the victim was thrown out. Some parts of the car were also thrown around due to the strong impact.

Fortunately, both girls were not seriously injured in the accident. The victims were seen by passersby and helped to take them to a local medical station for first aid.

It is known that this is not the first time an accident has occurred on this road. Although the distance from the foot of the mountain to the center of Tam Dao tourist area is about 14km, the road is small and has many hairpin bends that pose potential dangers.

Tourists should choose manual transmission vehicles when conquering the roads in Tam Dao (Photo cut from clip).

Along with that, the video immediately became a hot topic of discussion on many social networking platforms. Among them, many members of motorbike travel groups also shared their experiences when traveling on mountain passes.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Nguyen The Ngoc, who has many years of experience traveling on the roads in Tam Dao, said that using a scooter to go downhill can be dangerous for anyone, not just women.

"Due to the nature of my work, there are times when I travel to Tam Dao 4 times a week. Although I am very familiar with the roads here, my first choice is still a manual transmission motorbike. No matter how much experience you have, there are many reasons why you should choose this type of vehicle instead of a scooter to ensure your safety," said Mr. Ngoc.

According to this customer, the most dangerous area on Tam Dao Pass is usually the middle section, with many hairpin bends going down. Even experienced drivers, when arriving at this area, must proactively shift the vehicle into gear and slow down because of the danger.

When going uphill, due to the many winding sections, visitors should shift the vehicle to 2nd or 3rd gear to gradually climb. Conversely, when going downhill, you should use 2nd or 1st gear combined with the brake to control long, steep, sharp turns.

The safe speed should be between 20 and 25 km/h. On low slopes, visitors can shift to 3rd or 4th gear. In particular, the survival principle to remember is "whatever gear you go up, you go down".

Meanwhile, going downhill on a scooter is very dangerous because this type of vehicle does not have gears to slow down like a regular motorbike. When encountering long slopes and corners, tourists have the habit of squeezing and holding the brake for a long time. This can easily lead to brake burnout.

In addition, Mr. Ngoc also advised first-time travelers to Tam Dao not to go down the pass in the late afternoon. The weather in Tam Dao is quite erratic, but in the late afternoon, fog will fall, wetting the road, making the wheels slippery, increasing the danger.

The mountain pass in Tam Dao. Photo: Vinh Phuc Radio and Television Station

If in case the customer still wants to use the scooter to go downhill, Mr. Tien Duc, the chief technician of service instructions for a car company, said that the principle to remember is not to use only one brake but to coordinate both the front and rear brakes.

The rear brake helps stabilize the vehicle body while the front brake helps create strong braking force. The driver combines both brakes to distribute the braking force evenly, avoiding brake pad wear that causes this part to lose its effectiveness.

"Braking must be done slowly with a reasonable pressing and releasing speed, do not squeeze suddenly to cause the wheel to skid, especially when going through slippery, rocky road areas.

In addition, customers should absolutely not turn off the engine to let the car drift, causing the car to completely lose braking force from the engine.

If you are driving on a long slope, you can stop and rest in the middle of the journey. This helps the driver recover and gives the braking system time to cool down," Tien analyzed.

The number of tourists to Tam Dao town in the first quarter is estimated at more than 77,600, reaching 20.4% of the yearly plan, of which, overnight guests are more than 41,200, up 93% over the same period in 2024. In addition, foreign visitors are 1,204, up 106% over the same period in 2024.

From Hanoi, you can go to Tam Dao by car or motorbike. Passenger vans, limousines, and taxis also operate the Hanoi - Tam Dao route, with round-trip tickets costing around 200,000-300,000 VND per person. Travel time from Hanoi is around 2 hours.

According to dantri.com.vn

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/kinh-nghiem-giu-mang-song-khi-do-deo-o-tam-dao-nen-di-xe-so-hay-xe-ga-163836.html