In Ho Chi Minh City, black spots on roads, or dangerous areas where traffic accidents consistently occur, remain a fear for travelers, with policymakers yet to find a solution.

Eighteen black spots were recorded in the first six months of 2016 in the southern metropolis, distributed evenly from the inner to outer parts of the city.

Those traveling through the Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach Intersection in Tan Binh District have recently been witness to two fatal accidents.

Large trucks often go through the narrow street filled with potholes to get to Truong Chinh, creating long lines of the vehicles that force motorcycles to stay close to the sidewalk.

Careless motorcycle drivers can easily lose balance and fall if they come into contact with large trucks, leading to dangerous accidents.

Similarly, an accident black spot on the Country Lane No. 2 in Binh Tan District has haunted travelers for a long time.

“The road is narrow, traffic is always congested, and yet the turn is extremely sharp. Drivers are always anxious whenever we drive on this road,” one truck driver complained.

Infrastructure changes have been implemented to improve the situation at these accident black spots.

At the Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach Intersection, two-phase traffic signals have been replaced by three-phase traffic signals, ensuring more safety for travelers.

At the An Suong Intersection in District 12, more traffic lights have been installed and the road has been expanded.

Other accident black spots are also undergoing changes in officials' hope of reducing future accidents.

Dr. Tran Quan Thang, head of Ho Chi Minh City’s Institute of Economics and Management, claimed that in addition to basic infrastructure and other technicalities, an important cause of traffic accidents has been travelers’ poor awareness of basic safety rules.

A comprehensive solution, therefore, must include the traffic safety education of road users.

Dr. Pham Sanh, an expert in the field of transportation, argued that due to a lack of serious research, Vietnam’s procedure for identifying and resolving accident black spots is backward, leading to an urgent need for rigorous standards and important technological tools.

Now is the time to focus on solving the problem of accident black spots, Dr. Sanh concluded.

18 accident black spots in Ho Chi Minh City (Jan-Jun 2016):District 1 - Vo Van Kiet Street: 2 accidents, 1 dead, 1 injuredDistrict 2

- My Thuy Intersection: 3 accidents, 3 dead, 1 injured - An Phu Intersection: 1 accident, 2 dead, 1 injured           District 4 - Nguyen Tat Thanh: 3 accidents, 3 deadDistrict 6 - Hong Bang Street: 2 accidents, 1 dead, 1 injuredDistrict 9 - Le Van Viet Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead - D400 Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 1 injured - Nguyen Duy Trinh Street: 1 dead, 1 injuredDistrict 12 - An Suong Intersection: 8 accidents, 9 deadThu Duc District - Thu Duc Intersection: 2 accidents, 3 dead, 3 injured - National Highway 1: 3 accidents, 3 dead - 81 Tam Binh Street: 2 accidents, 3 dead - National Highway 1A: 1 accident, 2 deadBinh Tan District - Provincial Road 10: 2 accidents, 2 dead - Backroad 2: 2 accidents, 3 deadTan Binh District - Truong Chinh Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead - Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 2 injuredPhu Nhuan District - Phan Dang Luu Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 2 injured

(Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport)

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