Vietnam considers driving ban for small-chested people

Vietnam is considering a ban on small-chested people driving motorbikes - a proposal that has provoked widespread disbelief, all the more in this nation of slightly built people.

The ministry of health recently recommended that people whose chests measure less than 28 inches (72cm) would be prohibited, as would those who are too short or too thin.

The proposal is part of an exhaustive list of new criteria the ministry has come up with to ensure that Vietnam's drivers are in good health. As news of the plan hit the media this week, Vietnamese expressed incredulity.



"It's ridiculous," said Tran Thi Phuong, 38, a Hanoi insurance agent. "It's absurd."

"The new proposals are very funny, but many Vietnamese people could become the victim of this joke," said Le Quang Minh, 31, a Hanoi stockbroker. "Many Vietnamese women have small chests. I have many friends who won't meet these criteria."

It was unclear how the ministry established its size guidelines, and an official there declined to comment. The average Vietnamese man is 1.64m (5ft 4in) tall and weighs 55kg (121lb). The average Vietnamese woman is 1.55m tall and weighs 47kg. Statistics on average chest size were unavailable.