As someone who has lived in Vietnam for nearly 20 years and driven a car most of that time, I can confidently say that Hanoi is hands down the worst place. The reasons are three-fold: 1) high population density; 2) the sheer number of vehicles on the road at most hours of the day; and 3) the toughness of the people compared and contrasted with their fellow citizens in other locations. (As in other countries, people differ by region for historical and other reasons.)
Here’s a bad boy truck driver who played games with me, tried to force me out of my lane, and came so close that he damaged one of my side mirrors. No need to get out of the car and risk injury or worse playing out my fantasy, which was to kick his ass. (I’m keeping this post PG.) Based on my experience of living in Vietnam for nearly 20 years and many trips back and forth starting in 1996, I know that conflict between Vietnamese and foreign men can escalate quickly, and while Vietnamese aren’t permitted to purchase and carry guns, thank god, people like this guy usually have other weapons handy, e.g., a knife.
Here are some articles I’ve written about driving in Vietnam. While it’s not the worst place to drive in the world, e.g., try Nepal, it ranks among the top 10.
Lái xe ở Việt Nam (22.11.22)
Driven to praise, driving me nuts: a US-Vietnam traffic comparison (10.12.22)
An International Educator in Vietnam 