The advantage of taking the night bus is that I can sleep, not wasting time during the day, and the bus goes fast. However, this speed also poses a danger to passengers. In all my trips, an average of 4 trips/month for nearly a year, I have been fortunate to have been safe on all the buses. But now, the news about sleeper buses makes me startled.
The most recent accident on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway occurred at around 0:48 on September 24 at km227+800, in Ham Thanh commune, Ham Thuan Nam district, Binh Thuan province. The Thuan Thao passenger bus was traveling from Vinh Hao to Phan Thiet, when it reached the above route, it crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer traveling in the same direction ahead. The accident resulted in the death of the passenger bus driver at the hospital, and about 11 passengers were injured.
Just 5 days earlier, at 0:00 on September 19, also on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway, an accident between a Phuong Trang and a Hong Son passenger van occurred near the kilometer marker 191+500, passing through Binh Tan commune, Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province. The Hong Son passenger van was carrying 32 people on the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet expressway. When it reached the above location, the driver stopped the vehicle in the lane next to the guardrail due to engine failure. At this time, the Phuong Trang passenger van, carrying 25 people in the same direction, came from behind and hit the back of the Hong Son van. The accident resulted in the death of 2 passengers on the Phuong Trang van on the spot. In addition, many passengers on the van were injured and taken to the emergency room.
Both were sleeper buses, both crashed into the car in front, both were on the highway, and both were in the middle of the night.
There are many reasons such as the lighting system on this highway is not complete, the emergency lane system is not continuous. Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet Expressway is 100.8km long, the entire route passes through Binh Thuan province and was put into operation, exploiting the main route from May 19, 2023, inaugurated on June 18, 2023.
Currently, this highway is allowed to run at a maximum speed of 90 km/h and has a scale of 4 lanes with some locations having emergency stopping strips, but there is no continuous emergency stopping lane along both sides of the route. In April 2024, Binh Thuan province proposed that the Ministry of Transport consider investing in continuous emergency stopping lanes along both sides of the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet highway and soon deploy the construction of rest stops on the two highways passing through the province.
In addition to improving the infrastructure system, another point to note is the human factor. Accidents often occur at midnight, so drivers must always be alert and have adequate rest before operating. This will help reduce accidents and limit the fear of night trips.
