Moto madness

From the Christian Science Monitor, 2008: "To the Vietnamese, a motorbike is not just a vehicle, but a bionic limb. A magic carpet. A personal jet pack, able to propel them from their living rooms (where many park their bikes) to any doorstep. Legs and feet are backup forms of transport, used only as a last resort."

The World Bank estimates 20 million motorcycles are on Vietnam's roads, 3 million of which are in Ho Chi Minh City. Motorcycles are the primary mode of transport in urban centers, accounting for some 60 percent of all vehicular trips. Bicycles are the second most common mode of transport at 25 percent, the bank says.

The motorbike seems to be the mode of transport of choice for families. It's not uncommon to see a family of four jetting past on a tiny bike.

All of that motorcycling makes for a high traffic fatality rate, at least 30 people a day. Still more are injured, often with trauma to the head. The U.S. State Department on its travel information page describes traffic accidents as "the single greatest health and safety risk you will face in Vietnam."