Local authorities in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have issued a document asking local police to increase the fluency of patrols and deal strictly with traffic violations by foreigners. In particular, tighter control will be exerted on motorbike rental services, as foreign visitors currently can hire motorbikes without showing their driving licenses. The crackdown on traffic violations by foreigners comes after several visitors have died in road accidents in the province, considered one of the most beautiful places in the country, with its terraced fields, vast flowering areas and rich ethnic minority culture. In the most recent accident, a Spanish man and a French woman died last Monday after their motorbike collided with a truck trailer traveling on a national highway. Two days earlier, a French national succumbed to heavy injuries following a crash between his motorbike and a mini bus. In November, last year, a Spanish traveler died after driving his motorbike off a cliff in Ha Giang. Poor traffic awareness Hoang Anh Duc, a senior traffic police officer in Ha Giang, said most foreign visitors to the mountainous province opt to hire a motorbike to cross twisting, dangerous roads in Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac Districts. Several foreigners have been seen driving at high speed, breaking red lights, not wearing helmets and failing to show driving licenses. These violations become dangerous in Ha Giang, famous for narrow, twisting roads and dangerous mountain passes that challenge even the most seasoned motorbike drivers. So… [Read full story]
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