Don’t expect people to stop and wait for you to cross the road. If you want to cross, you’ll just have to be assertive and walk out in front of the oncoming traffic; it’s pretty scary at first. A few times I quite expected to be run over and I often let out a little shriek as I began to cross, particularly in the first few days!
But people are very courteous and they will slow down to let you cross, but only if you make the first move. Just remember that cars and trucks can’t stop as quickly or swerve around you as well as motorbikes, so give them some extra distance. Try and look the drivers in the eye as you cross, to ensure that they’ve seen you. Crossing the road in Hanoi will certainly give you an adrenaline rush! But after a few days of it, you’ll begin to enjoy the challenge and it turns into a bit of a fun game.