Mixed opinions on testing drivers of vehicles under 50cc

Many experts support the proposal to test drivers of motorbikes under 50cc because of the high number of accidents involving students, but some say the regulation is inconvenient.

At the National Assembly on the morning of November 21, delegate Ly Thi Lan, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ha Giang province, proposed that the Government issue regulations on training, testing, and use of motorbikes with a capacity of less than 50 cc.

The 2008 Road Traffic Law stipulates that people aged 16 and over are allowed to drive motorbikes under 50cc and do not have to take a driving test; people aged 18 and over are allowed to drive two-wheeled motorbikes, three-wheeled motorbikes of 50cc or more and vehicles with similar structures.

Agreeing with the above proposal, Dr. Tran Huu Minh, Chief of Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that some recent studies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City showed that 90% of serious traffic accidents involving children were in the group of children who drove to school by themselves.

Current regulations allow high school students aged 16-18 to independently participate in traffic by bicycle, electric bicycle, motorbike with a capacity of less than 50cc or electric motorbike. However, electric motorbikes and motorbikes still have relatively high speeds (25-50 km/h), while students are not fully equipped with traffic knowledge and skills, leading to many accidents.

Hanoi traffic police fine students riding motorbikes and electric bicycles without helmets. Photo: Giang Huy — Hanoi traffic police fine students riding motorbikes and electric bicycles without helmets. Photo: *Giang Huy*

According to traffic accident data from the Hanoi Traffic Police Department, 34% of child accidents are caused by driving on the wrong side of the road; 30% by speeding; and 26% by lack of observation. Mr. Minh analyzed the causes of these accidents to show that students lack traffic skills and knowledge.

"The proposal that people aged 16-18 must have a driver's license when driving electric motorbikes with a capacity of less than 4 kW or motorbikes with a capacity of less than 50 cc is very correct," said Mr. Minh.

According to the Chief of Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee, schools are integrating traffic safety education into the main curriculum, but students are only exposed to theory. Meanwhile, in many European countries, drivers of electric motorbikes and motorbikes under 50cc must take a course on traffic laws and basic driving skills. At the end of the course, there is a test to issue a driver's license or certificate.

Sharing the view on testing drivers of vehicles under 50cc, Dr. Phan Le Binh, an urban traffic expert, said that training centers should conduct the testing instead of schools. "We should not create a burden for teachers because they do not have the expertise to teach driving skills," said Mr. Binh.

Disagreeing with the above proposal, Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, said that the regulation requiring students to be trained and tested for a license to drive motorbikes under 50cc or electric vehicles would be a waste of time, effort, money, and increase social costs. Even if students are not aware, negative consequences such as buying a license, studying for someone else, taking exams for someone else will arise...

According to Mr. Quyen, schools that have integrated traffic safety education, provided basic driving skills for students (driving on the right side, in the correct lane, wearing helmets...), along with family guidance and instruction will be "better than forcing students to go to driving training centers and take exams".

Traffic expert Nguyen Van Thanh also commented that vehicles under 50cc and electric bicycles do not have high speeds and the risk of accidents is not as high as that of large displacement vehicles. "Regulations requiring people riding vehicles under 50cc to take the test are unnecessary and cause waste to society. Instead, authorities need to strictly handle students riding vehicles over 50cc, electric bicycles, and motorbikes without helmets and coordinate with schools to educate and promote them," said Mr. Thanh.

The regulation that drivers of electric motorbikes and motorbikes under 50cc must have a driver's license (through testing) was included in the first draft of the revised Road Traffic Law in July 2020. The Ministry of Transport, the National Traffic Safety Committee and representatives of a number of agencies expressed support for this regulation.

In June, the National Assembly agreed to split the Road Traffic Law into the Road Law and the Road Traffic Order and Safety Law. However, both bills submitted to the 15th National Assembly for comments at the ongoing 6th session do not contain provisions on granting licenses or testing drivers of motorbikes under 50cc.

Doan Loan

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