Final article: Need attention from functional sectors

(Baonghean) -With the advantages of being environmentally friendly, easy to use, and affordable, electric bicycles (EBs) are a pretty optimal choice for students and the elderly. However, there have been many problems arising around the use of this type of vehicle. Finding a solution to make EBs a truly safe means of transportation is not only the responsibility of schools...

According to Decree 34/ND-CP, the fine for drivers and passengers on electric bicycles who do not wear helmets or do not wear them properly is 100,000 - 200,000 VND (for people over 18 years old). However, those aged 16 - 18 will only be subject to 50% of this fine, while those under 16 will be given a warning and have their vehicle impounded for 10 days.

The Decree also clearly states that people under 16 years old are not allowed to drive XĐĐ. Thus, using XĐĐ for middle school students is a violation of traffic safety. In recent times, although the Traffic Safety Committee and the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An have coordinated to implement many solutions for traffic safety education, the situation of students violating traffic safety laws is still common; traffic congestion and obstruction in front of school gates still occurs frequently, posing many potential risks of traffic accidents.

Faced with that situation, since mid-April 2013, the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee has continued to coordinate with the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An to direct schools in the province to make a list of students using electric bicycles to school, organize the signing of a commitment to strictly manage the use of vehicles between schools, parents and students; require students to wear standard helmets when participating in traffic by electric bicycles and voluntarily comply with the provisions of the law on traffic safety and order; encourage parents not to let their children under 16 years old drive electric bicycles to ensure their own safety.



Many high school students use electric bicycles.

However, there is still a situation where middle school students ride electric bicycles to school. Ms. Le Thi Hoa Binh, Principal of Dang Thai Mai Middle School (Vinh City), said: “After receiving information about the ban on those under 16 years old riding electric bicycles, the school organized a thorough understanding for students during the flag-raising ceremony at the beginning of the week, and organized a commitment signing between the school and parents. This content is also regularly propagated and integrated into thematic activities and becomes the content for year-end conduct classification. Thanks to that, the number of XĐĐ at the school has decreased to less than 50% compared to before.”

However, according to Ms. Binh, due to the school's characteristics, many students live far from home (from Nghi Lien, Hung Chinh...), many parents still let their children ride electric bikes to school. The school does not approve of students going to school, but the school alone cannot do it. This is a job that requires coordination from all levels, sectors and society, especially the awareness of students and parents.

Basically, many parents buy a bike for their children and consider it as fulfilling their responsibility, without paying much attention to their children's awareness of obeying the Road Traffic Law. For them, a helmet is just a "solution" to be able to enter the school gate. We have often seen images of helmets placed in front of the bike basket or carried in the hand, not bothering to wear them... at most high school gates.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, Vice Principal of Huynh Thuc Khang High School, said that the school has regularly propagated and educated students about wearing helmets when participating in traffic by XDD, and organized them to sign a commitment with their parents. In the 2012-2013 school year alone, there were 3 traffic safety education sessions (1 session in coordination with the Provincial Youth Union, 1 session with the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee and 1 session with the Traffic Safety Committee for Tomorrow's Smiles - Honda Duc An Company). Students entering the school must have helmets on their vehicles, and the school regularly monitors, handles, and promptly reminds them. In addition, the school has thoroughly handled cases of students who violate the law and are notified by the city's traffic police. Recently, the school announced a reprimand for more than 30 other students in the entire school for riding motorbikes without a license and riding XDD without wearing helmets. However, Mr. Khanh also said that although the students all have helmets on their vehicles when entering the school, the school cannot manage them when they go out on the street.



Detained for not wearing helmet while driving on the evening of May 9.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Phi Quyen, Deputy Head of the Vinh City Traffic Police Team, from January 2013 to now, the Team has arrested and handled over 400 cases of XDD drivers violating the Road Traffic Law. The main violations are not wearing helmets, carrying 2 more people, and lining up on the road. The main subjects are students, many of whom are in junior high school (under 16 years old), the age group prohibited from using XDD. Arresting children under 16 years old is very difficult. Because if you want to specifically prove their age, you need a birth certificate, household registration... to be eligible for a fine. But to have those documents, you need to invite family, relatives... which is very time-consuming. There are also cases where, when the authorities arrested violators, parents came to the scene to intervene. When the authorities firmly refused, these parents became upset, threatened, and even threatened to assault them.

For XĐĐ to become a truly age-friendly means, used at the right age, it requires more attention from relevant agencies and active participation from schools, in which students' compliance and parents' cooperation play a decisive role.

Tran Hai