Vietnam driving ranked among most dangerous for tourists

The Swiftest measured road safety levels at 50 of the world’s leading destinations, based on the number of “adverse events” per 100,000 inhabitants per year.

Dominican Republic has the world’s highest road traffic death rate at 64.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam, the company said, citing data from the World Health Organization.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, around 5,800 people were killed in traffic accidents in Vietnam last year, mostly on the roads, down from 6,700 in 2020.

The Swiftest list of safest destinations for tourists to drive were Singapore, Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, the U.K. and Japan.

The company also added that Vietnam is known as one of the safest Southeast Asian countries to visit – “at least when it comes to violence and petty crime.”

Traffic accidents remain the largest single cause of fatalities in Vietnam even as the country works hard to make local roads safer.

Traffic congestion, inadequate law enforcement, poor driving skills and bad street conditions are often cited as the main reasons for road crashes in Vietnam.

Vietnam has emerged one of the most ideal destinations for solo travel in recent years, and many foreign tourists are keen on renting motorbikes to explore the country.

However, several foreigners die in road accidents here in recent years.