Road Safety Knowledge and Behaviour Among Young Drivers in a Semi-Urban Indian Setting: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Undergraduate Medical Students
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Road traffic injuries are a major public health concern, especially among young adults aged 15–44 years. India accounts for nearly 11% of global road traffic deaths despite having only 3% of the world’s vehicles. Limited evidence exists on road safety awareness and driving practices among young adults in semi-urban India.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 undergraduate medical students at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Saifai Block, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, between September and October 2023. Census sampling included consenting students with driving experience. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic profile, road safety awareness, and driving practices. Scores were categorised as good or poor using the mean score cut-off. Associations were tested using the chi-square test.
Results: Most participants were aged 18–24 years (72.4%), male (74.0%), and two-wheeler users (88.6%). Good awareness was observed in 54.8% of participants. Awareness was significantly higher among older participants and males. Better practice scores were associated with younger age and two-wheeler use. Gender was not significantly associated with practice. Human error was the most commonly perceived cause of road traffic accidents.
Conclusion: Road safety awareness and practices differed by demographic factors, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions for young drivers in semi-urban India.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
1. World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023. Geneva: WHO; 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240086517
2. World Health Organization. Road Traffic Injuries Fact Sheet. Geneva: WHO; 2023. [Accessed: April 2024]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
3. Blincoe L, Miller T, Zaloshnja E, Lawrence B. The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised). Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2015. Report No. DOT HS 812 013.
4. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. Road Accidents in India 2022. New Delhi: MoRTH; 2023. Available from: https://morth.nic.in
5. World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Road Safety in the South-East Asia Region. New Delhi: WHO-SEARO; 2019.
6. Vanlaar W, Mayhew D, Marcoux K, Wets G, Brijs T, Shope J. An evaluation of graduated driver licensing programs in North America using a meta-analytic approach. Accid Anal Prev. 2009;41(5):1104–11.
7. Bhalla K, Naghavi M, Bhatt S, Bhatta G, Rao C, et al. Estimating the number of road traffic deaths in India: a comparison of official data and estimates from household surveys. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):2062.
8. Nasvadi GE, Vavrik J. Crash risk of older drivers after attending a mature driver education program. Accid Anal Prev. 2007;39(6):1073–9.
9. Peden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, et al. World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention. Geneva: WHO; 2004.
10. Singh H, Bhatt M. Epidemiology of road traffic accidents in India: a review. Indian J Community Med. 2020;45(4):404–8.
11. Kulkarni V, Kanchan T, Palanivel C, et al. Awareness and practice of road safety measures among undergraduate medical students in a South Indian state. J Forensic Leg Med. 2013;20(4):226–9.
12. Trivedi RA, Kumar VV, John KR, et al. Knowledge, awareness, and practices of road traffic rules among a semi-urban population in Chittoor region. Int J. 2021;4(4):386.
13. Jothula KY, Sreeharshika D. Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward road safety regulations among college students in Telangana state. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:25.
14. Papadimitriou E, Filtness A, Holm A, et al. Review and ranking of crash risk factors related to the road infrastructure. Accid Anal Prev. 2016;93:184–94.
15. Martínez-Ruiz V, Lardelli-Claret P, Montero-Alonso MÁ, Jiménez-Mejías E, García-Cuerva M. Risk factors for causing road crashes involving young drivers: a systematic review. Transp Res F Traffic Psychol Behav. 2013;18:1–18.
16. Kumar S, Jaiswal K, Rani V, et al. An epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases in a tertiary care hospital of central Uttar Pradesh. Int J Health Sci Res. 2015;5(5):49–53.
17. Dandona R, Kumar GA, Gururaj G, et al. Burden of road traffic injuries in India: results from the Global Burden of Disease 2016 Study. Lancet Public Health. 2020;5(3):e146–59.
18. Groeger JA, Brown ID. Assessing one's own and others' driving ability: influences of sex, age and experience. Accid Anal Prev. 1989;21(2):155–68.
19. Muniyapillai T, Kulothungan K, Meera H. Distracted driving behaviour among adults in the Perambalur district: a cross-sectional study. Cureus. 2023;15(6). DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40247
20. Redelmeier DA, Tibshirani RJ. Association between cellular-telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions. N Engl J Med. 1997;336(7):453–8. [Classic reference; updated data available in: Caird JK et al. Meta-analysis of the effects of cell phones on driver performance. Accid Anal Prev. 2018;118:1–8.]