More than two-thirds of people who drink at a nhậu session or restaurant admit to driving afterwards, contributing significantly to traffic accidents.
The statistics were announced during a seminar discussing the results of a study on how alcoholic drinks affect the behavior of motorbike drivers in Vietnam. The event took place on October 4 and was jointly organized by the National Traffic Safety Committee and relevant agencies.
According to the research, around 68% of drinkers still drive home by themselves after consuming alcohol at a restaurant or bar. The committee's report furthered that of those drinkers, 36% did not use their turn signal while turning, 26% traveled in the wrong direction, and 17% didn't turn on their headlight.
Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, director of Viet Duc Research Center, noted that a blood alcohol content of 20mg per 100ml triples the risk of an accident, and 50mg per 100ml raises it seven-fold. A new law that will go into effect on January 1, 2020 places the legal amount of blood alcohol at 50mg per 100ml for motorbike drivers. Tuan furthered that alcohol is involved in 70–80% of all traffic accidents.
Speakers at the seminar expressed a need for more rigorous inspections and sanctions related to driving under the influence. Following several high-profile accidents caused by drunk drivers, authorities did recently amp up street sobriety tests. There have also been discussions about stricter punishments for offenders and plans to limit the cheap and easy availability of alcohol.
