Wearing helmet in VN

Just bring your own.

Can I bring a bicycle helmet? Or does it have to have a visor?

You can bring your own bike helmet to ride a bike. To ride a motorbike you could be fined if your helmet is not designed for  using a motorbike. We prefer helmet with a visor just because of the sunlight. You can bring one with or without a visor but for your safe first.

tyanna wrote:

You can bring your own bike helmet to ride a bike. To ride a motorbike you could be fined if your helmet is not designed for  using a motorbike. We prefer helmet with a visor just because of the sunlight. You can bring one with or without a visor but for your safe first.

If you're riding at night a visor is a must as well.[img

tyanna wrote:

You can bring your own bike helmet to ride a bike. To ride a motorbike you could be fined if your helmet is not designed for  using a motorbike. We prefer helmet with a visor just because of the sunlight. You can bring one with or without a visor but for your safe first.

I chuckle at that statement 'helmet designed for using a motorbike'. Since when the helmets worn in Vietnam are considered safe to wear for any purpose? They look flimsy and toy-like. I doubt they've been tested to meet safety requirements.

Just bring your own helmet, even a skullcap is ok. Visor or not is up to you. Maybe you shouldn't use bike helmets, even if they are probably safer than most of the motorbike helmets sold on the streets, but just to avoid discussions with the police.

You asked "helmet law". Law and reality is maybe far from each other many people here are wearing "toy-like" motorbike helmets. Yes but not bike helmets. If you are stopped by the police they have the right to fine you.

I brought my own European aprroved Caberg helmet. In my opinion a 300k helmet you buy in vn will not safe your life, only your wallet.
Some of the helmets here are nothing but thick leather caps, imagine hitting the ground with that!

I've bought my helmets from Thailand, you can buy good helmets from Vietnam too, caberg, AGV, HJC, SHARK plus many more.

Visor is good to have in helmet.. Not just because the sun! It prevents wind hitting your eyes when your riding, and dust/sand going to your eyes.

Open face helmet is nice in the city but doesn't offer protection of fullface helmet, but fullface helmet is just too hot in the city so I use my fullface when I go outside the city with friends.

Westerners hardly ever get pulled over even if they will not wear any helmets. also for really short distances I use protec wakeboard helmet.. Never been stop.

If you bring helmet just handcarry it, thats what I do.

G'day Cloud 9,

Bring your own helmet that will be fine. The law, as I understand it, is that as long as you have some sort of protection on your head, you are street legal.
It's not uncommon to see people on scooters and motorcycles wearing push bike head gear and it seems to be acceptable.
Just one small tip, just make sure you do up your chin strap, it's an offence to ride with the strap not done up.
Good luck, if you have any more questions, drop a line. Cheers..

Actually it is not the case, there are some "legal" helmets and some not legal.
Like those helmets with that ponytail slot on the back are illegal and police can fine you.

They have crackdown those illegal helmet sales, but they are still around..

Rooboru wrote:

G'day Cloud 9,

Bring your own helmet that will be fine. The law, as I understand it, is that as long as you have some sort of protection on your head, you are street legal.
It's not uncommon to see people on scooters and motorcycles wearing push bike head gear and it seems to be acceptable.
Just one small tip, just make sure you do up your chin strap, it's an offence to ride with the strap not done up.
Good luck, if you have any more questions, drop a line. Cheers..

All helmets are supposed to have a VN certification sticker on them, a couple of years ago the cops were going around helmet shops and making  shop owners discard the old helmets.
My helmet was 250k 3 years ago, pull down visor type, it has more than stood the test of time, been dropped many, many times, and hardly shows any scratches, ( even after a 30kph encounter with the cement ).
A problem in my town has been finding helmets big enough for my foreigner visitors.

police do not stop bike riders like that - get real - police do nothing except perhaps accept $$$$$

Just a couple of questions, where are you going to ride, and on what?
We presume you have a motorcycle license in your home state or country.

bluenz wrote:

All helmets are supposed to have a VN certification sticker on them, a couple of years ago the cops were going around helmet shops and making  shop owners discard the old helmets.

This is true but I used an open face US helmet with a DOT emblem on it and never had any problems.  It had substantially more padding than any VN made helmet that I saw.  I bought one for my wife too.  At first she objected to the added weight but admitted that after a while she no longer noticed it.  One problem with a US made helmet may be that it is subject to theft.  I had young local men in my apartment house who rode larger bikes and wore full face helmets tell me that they had helmets stolen. 

Funny that you should mention the police going to shops.  I was watching TV one day with a Viet Kieu visitor who laughed when the TV news reported that police were stopping riders for illegal helmets.  His combination of Vietnamese and American knowledge immediately made him say that the sellers were where they should be going and that stopping riders was just the usual money making by police.

bluenz wrote:

( even after a 30kph encounter with the cement ).

I hope you know that it is advisable to discard a helmet like that because the padding may be compressed thereby diminishing its effectiveness.  This may not be visible to the naked eye.

bluenz wrote:

A problem in my town has been finding helmets big enough for my foreigner visitors.

What I found was that the problem is not so much size as it is shape.  Viewed from the top most Asian people have a roundish head while people of European descent tend to have heads that are more oval.  Such shapes can be found but I think you may need to go to the brand name shops.

bluenz wrote:

My helmet was 250k 3 years ago, pull down visor type, it has more than stood the test of time, been dropped many, many times, and hardly shows any scratches, ( even after a 30kph encounter with the cement ).

Are you serious??? With Western helmets (e.g. DOT-approved), you replace them after ANY crash or if dropped from more than three feet while empty. With most VN helmets, you have very little protection to start with. I'd bet that your helmet will be as effective as a soup tureen in protecting your head the next time you encounter cement.

To all: If you have a $10 brain, buy a $10 helmet. I brought three DOT helmets with me and wear one every minute I'm on a motorbike or motorcycle. If/when one hits the ground with my head in it, I cut off the chin strap, rip out the liner, and throw it away. I suggest you do the same with whatever brain bucket you wear.

To those in Saigon: there is a relatively new shop in District 1 on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai that sells good helmets.

-JohnD- wrote:

bluenz wrote:

My helmet was 250k 3 years ago, pull down visor type, it has more than stood the test of time, been dropped many, many times, and hardly shows any scratches, ( even after a 30kph encounter with the cement ).

Are you serious??? With Western helmets (e.g. DOT-approved), you replace them after ANY crash or if dropped from more than three feet while empty. With most VN helmets, you have very little protection to start with. I'd bet that your helmet will be as effective as a soup tureen in protecting your head the next time you encounter cement.

To all: If you have a $10 brain, buy a $10 helmet. I brought three DOT helmets with me and wear one every minute I'm on a motorbike or motorcycle. If/when one hits the ground with my head in it, I cut off the chin strap, rip out the liner, and throw it away. I suggest you do the same with whatever brain bucket you wear.

To those in Saigon: there is a relatively new shop in District 1 on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai that sells good helmets.

Hey John D.
I'm sure you talk to bike riders in your home town USA.
Do you ask them if they are serious when they want to keep their dirty, marked helmets?
What is the reaction when you tell them ?
How about the Harley riding crew?
Did you mention the ''$10 dollar brain,$10 helmet'' to them?
What was their response?

As you said ''brain bucket" ,and that is Cali' talk.Or fight the system.
Anyhoo. No helmet needed for this iron horse.

The image is for entertainment and educational purposes only

jimbream wrote:

Hey John D.
I'm sure you talk to bike riders in your home town USA.
Do you ask them if they are serious when they want to keep their dirty, marked helmets?
What is the reaction when you tell them ?
How about the Harley riding crew?
Did you mention the ''$10 dollar brain,$10 helmet'' to them?
What was their response?

As you said ''brain bucket" ,and that is Cali' talk.Or fight the system.

Since I do not know you, jimbeam, I will assume your questions were NOT rhetorical:
1) Yes, sometimes I talk with motorcyclists in the US.
2) No one I know keeps using a helmet after a crash in which the helmet was one of the first things to impact.
3) I think for myself and in my experience, most Harley riders are followers, so we rarely interact.
4) I don't battle wits with the unarmed (see 2 & 3).

"Brain bucket" may have originated in California, though I've heard it in both Canada and Cuba, so I'm unsure why it matters where it came from.

The helmet comments are correct.

When I bought my first motorbike, I asked my instructor how much was good to spend on a helmet.
He replied, "Whatever you think your head is worth".
As I'm as arrogant as I am intelligent, I spent a lot of money.

To accidents and helmets - One bang and it's in the bin - Easy as that.
The helmet can look fine, but there could well be serious weakening of the structure that'll leave your unprotected head bouncing down the road should another tank slapper occur.

As for cheap helmets commonly available in Asia - Don't - they're rubbish.

-JohnD- wrote:

To those in Saigon: there is a relatively new shop in District 1 on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai that sells good helmets.

I think you may be referring to Andes.  I never bought a helmet there as I had a DOT helmet but I have been told by some who should know that they are the best local brand.  They have several shops but I was told that if I want a larger size to stay clear of the contract (đại lý) type shops you may see in the outer districts and stick with the company stores downtown.  Here is a cute video that shows why you don't want a cheap helmet along with a streaming banner with the store addresses.  It is all in Vietnamese but it's easy to get the idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=170&v=tk4K6kh6Bk0

THIGV wrote:

-JohnD- wrote:

To those in Saigon: there is a relatively new shop in District 1 on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai that sells good helmets.

I think you may be referring to Andes.  I never bought a helmet there as I had a DOT helmet but I have been told by some who should know that they are the best local brand.  They have several shops but I was told that if I want a larger size to stay clear of the contract (đại lý) type shops you may see in the outer districts and stick with the company stores downtown.  Here is a cute video that shows why you don't want a cheap helmet along with a streaming banner with the store addresses.  It is all in Vietnamese but it's easy to get the idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=170&v=tk4K6kh6Bk0

Thanks, but no, it's definitely NOT Andes. Their helmets may be better than most local brands, but they're no where near Western safety standards. HJC is closer and available at the store on NTMK. I am currently unable to find the business card I took and will update here with the name of the store as soon as I can.

Protec helmets (http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/engl … 67835.html) are, in my extensive research, the best VN-made helmet for children, though not full-face.

I got this address and number for HJC from their Vietnamese website:  Đ/C: 501An Dương Vương, Phường 14, Quận 6, TP Hồ Chí Minh.  ĐT: (08) 350.73381  The site may not be updated to include the NTMK store if it is new.

The Vietnam stores don't appear on a list of Asian distributors on the main company website so they may be supplied out of Thailand or some other ASEAN country.

It seems that they make the yellow helmets that say CSGT on the side so I take that as a good sign.  Nothing but the best for our boys in tan.

The question is not the law, but the enforcing officers.
My guess is they are flexible.

I have seen many local folks wearing equestrian helmets.
They don't even know their helmet are not designed for motorcycles.

Most Vietnamese did not wear any helmet until recent years.
I guess officers are easy to please as long as you are wearing any kind of hard hat without giving them "the" finger.