A new kind of jacket designed to help motorbike riders stay warm in winter is being introduced in Hanoi while local traffic officials have warned that it may be not safe for traffic.

New cold-proof jacket

On November 28, a woman wearing a strange cold-proof jacket on Hao Nam Street attracted many people's attention. The jackets, which look like a blanket with two sleeves covering the whole hands, are being sold widely on the internet.

According to various advertisements, this type of jacket has big and warm sleeves so driver can easily control the motorbikes. The jackets have appeared in China, Japan, and Vietnam, and are being sold at VND300,000.

Even though the jacket is gaining recognition, some people are sceptical about its practicality.

Pham Thi Lan Anh, an employee in Hanoi said, "I thought it's a tough sell because it looks huge."

Nguyen Ngoc Uyen, a university student said, "I don't think many people will buy. It's like driving a motorbike while wearing a blanket. It's not pretty."

A woman wearing new jacket on Hao Nam Street

Colonel Nguyen Van Quy, former head of Traffic Police Team 1 said there wasn’t any current punishment for drivers wearing huge jackets. However, he was worried that the new jacket might not be that safe.

"It may cause accident, especially when there is a traffic jam. I don't see people in countries with cold winter like Russia or the UK wear such jackets. The winter temperature in Vietnam is around 10 Celsius so people need to choose something more practical," he said.