Horns are used constantly. Outside the city, the traffic situation is marked by a variety of vehicles and livestock vying for road space. Sections of highway are in need of repair and in poor condition. Driving at night is dangerous. Buses and trucks often travel at high speed with five to six bright lights on the front of vehicles, which are rarely dimmed when approaching an oncoming car.
Vehicles often stop in the middle of the road without lights.
The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi advises that those driving after dark, especially outside the major cities, exercise extreme caution. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi also strongly advises that bikers and motorcyclists wear helmets, and that cars or taxis with seat belts be used whenever possible. Pedestrians and drivers should exercise great caution at all times. Foreigners renting vehicles also risk prosecution and imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license, as international driver's licenses are not considered valid in Vietnam. They are increasingly detaining and expelling individuals believed to be engaged in such activities.