Can women with small breasts be banned from driving cars or motorcycles?
After being reprimanded by the Ministry of Justice in 2008, the Ministry of Health is now seeking to tighten health standards for drivers, aiming to prohibit women with small breasts from driving and allow women with large breasts to drive larger vehicles.
According to the draft Joint Circular on health standards for drivers, periodic health examinations for automobile drivers, and regulations on medical facilities for driver health examinations (draft), dated August 7th, people who want to be eligible to drive cars and motorcycles must meet 83 health standards.
Accordingly, to obtain a health certificate to drive a motorcycle with an engine capacity of 50 cm3 or more (A1 and B1 driver's licenses), the average chest circumference must not be less than 72 cm, the weight must not be less than 40 kg, the grip strength of the non-dominant hand must be over 24 kg, and the height must be over 1.5 m (B1 license); over 1.45 m (A1 license - motorcycles with a cylinder capacity from 50 to under 175 cm3).
To drive a motorbike, citizens will likely have to meet many unreasonable conditions.
Photo: NLĐ.
To be eligible to take the driving license test for categories C, D, E, F, and A2, you must be between 1.6 and 1.62 meters tall; weigh over 47 kg; and have an average chest circumference of 76-78 cm. Those who are too short or underweight, with a height below 1.45 meters, will not be considered eligible to drive a 50cc motorbike; even if the height requirement is met, a body weight below 40 kg will also disqualify you from driving.
In addition to the six physical fitness criteria, the draft also includes 77 other criteria regulating physiological functions and diseases, including those with skin diseases, hemorrhoids, kidney failure, nearsightedness, etc., at various levels, which will disqualify individuals from driving different types of vehicles.
In 2008, the Ministry of Justice criticized Decision 33 on the issuance of health standards for drivers of motorized vehicles and Decision 34/2008 on the issuance of health standards for disabled people driving motorcycles and tricycles. Both decisions were issued by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Justice argues that regulations on health standards for drivers of road vehicles must be issued by a joint ministerial body, therefore the Ministry of Health's unilateral issuance is outside its authority. Furthermore, the inclusion of too many standards (83 standards), particularly those related to height, weight, chest circumference, and others that are unrealistic, restricts citizens' constitutional rights in using their property and vehicles; and creates unnecessary discrimination against some citizens.
An official from the Department of Legal Document Review (Ministry of Justice) stated that the regulations in the draft are not significantly different from the content of the two decisions that were "called out" in 2008.
However, on August 24th, Mr. Tran Quy Tuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment (Ministry of Health), stated that the press had mistakenly reported on the issue of "flat chests" being a requirement for driving licenses, as the Ministry of Health had only recently established a drafting committee and had not yet published any draft regulations related to this matter for public comment. Before drafting, they will survey the biological parameters and indicators (height, weight, chest circumference, health status) of those currently driving. These survey indicators will contribute to the development of health standards to ensure the safe operation of vehicles. From this, different regulations will be established for professional drivers and family drivers.
"To date, no draft has been released, contrary to recent media reports," Mr. Tuong affirmed, adding that the circular is expected to be issued in 2014.
However, Mr. Vu Van Trien, Director of the Department of Health for Transportation (Ministry of Transport), affirmed that the draft published on August 7th had been approved by the Ministry of Health. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Health for Transportation, also stated that the three ministries—Health, Transport, and Public Security—had met twice and basically agreed on the contents of the draft.
Mr. Trien also affirmed that the Ministry of Health is in charge of drafting the joint circular, and the Ministry of Transport is responsible for contributing opinions. To do this, the Transport Health Department sought opinions from units of the Ministry of Health and functional departments and divisions within the Ministry of Transport on the content of the draft. Through this process, this unit developed a preliminary draft of the circular and sent it to the Ministry of Health several months ago. The Ministry of Health established a drafting unit and held numerous meetings with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Transport.
| Mr. Khuong Kim Tao, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Traffic Safety Committee, affirmed that there is no evidence or research showing that people with an average chest circumference of less than 72 cm and weighing less than 40 kg are unsafe drivers of motorcycles. A set of health criteria for drivers needs to be developed to prevent drug addicts, those with amputated limbs, etc., from still being tested and granted driver's licenses. Other criteria in the draft are too rigid and illogical, and need to be reviewed. |
According to VnExpress - TH
