Motorcycles with umbrellas: Potential traffic safety risks

To cope with the sun and rain in their daily lives, many people working in the transport and street vendors have attached umbrellas to their motorbikes. This poses a high risk of traffic safety.

A motorbike with umbrella travels on Bac Son street, Phan Dinh Phung ward.

It is easy to see every noon or late afternoon, on the streets in the administrative center of the province, such as: Luong Ngoc Quyen, Bac Son, Hoang Van Thu, Cach Mang Thang Tam and many other streets... motorbikes with umbrellas weaving and gliding through the crowded traffic.

The vehicle owners are mainly shippers, street vendors, or freelancers. For them, umbrellas are a “survival” item in unpredictable sunny and rainy conditions. But that inadvertently turns personal vehicles into a threat to other road users.

Mr. Luong Van Hiep (a student at Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy), who often travels on Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, said: Many technology delivery people choose to use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun and rain, but it is really dangerous. Once, the car in front was blown by the wind and swerved, causing me behind to almost crash into it... It is convenient for an individual, but in many cases it becomes a danger to those around.

When asked about their feelings, many people expressed their unease at the image of umbrellas "floating" in the middle of traffic, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, who is studying in Thai Nguyen, frankly said: "Riding a motorbike to earn a living but also have to ensure safety for yourself and other road users, attaching an umbrella like that is no different than bringing danger to the road. We really hope that the authorities will tighten, strictly handle and end these cases...

In fact, umbrellas are not part of the technical design of motorbikes, so when attached to the vehicle, it leads to imbalance, obscured vision, especially dangerous in strong wind conditions, or crowded roads. The act of attaching an umbrella is a violation of the law, but is still not regularly checked and handled.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hai, group 11, Phan Dinh Phung ward, commented: Attaching umbrellas to motorbikes is a violation and needs to be corrected. If we continue to be lenient, violators will think it is normal.

The need to make a living by using an umbrella is understandable. However, if such behavior endangers the community, it must be considered from the perspective of traffic culture - where each individual action can affect others.

Safe traffic does not only come from instant convenience, but is built on the respect and responsibility of each traffic participant. When umbrellas still appear on the streets, it is time for us to look back at the gaps in people's behavior when participating in traffic.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/thoi-su-thai-nguyen/202507/xe-may-gan-o-tiem-an-mat-an-toan-giao-thong-15c1343/