Finally, motorbikes are simply a more efficient mode of transportation for travelers who often stay within the fifteen to twenty kilometers of their homes.
A third mode of transportation is busing. A popular form of public transportation, busing is commonly used by those who wish to travel between provinces. Although I have not yet used one, sleeper buses in which riders are given seat comparable to a small bed, are very popular in Vietnam.
Finally, in larger cities, locals often rely on the services of ride-sharing apps such as Grab. Grab is the Southeast Asia version of Uber. It's very popular and comes in the form of a car or motorbike.
Traffic in Vietnam is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my entire life. When I first arrived in the country, my fellow teachers and I were sure our bus driver was going to get into a crash. There are no speed limits. Traffic lights are present but I would describe them more as optional. A large number of motorbikes have no mirrors and people weave through traffic as if they were in an action movie. Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Vietnam. For the first two weeks in Vietnam, I refused to get on a motorbike and only rode in grab cars. Even then I was always anxious about getting in a wreck. Several of my friends have been involved in minor traffic accidents. However, now in my province, I have my own bike and I ride it every day. It is my favorite mode of transportation. Living in a rural area, the traffic is less intense so I am not as worried about getting involved in an accident. I would still never drive a bike in a major city such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
