The rate of compliance to seat belt usage among automobile drivers on three categories of roads in Nigeria: an observational survey

Injuries to head, chest and abdomen are a major cause of death for unrestrained vehicle occupants, particularly the drivers. The use of seat belts therefore plays a significant role in reducing the severity of injuries. The study examined the compliance rate of seat belt use on different road hierarchies in Abeokuta (Nigeria) using an observatory method. Findings indicated that there was 54%, 37.3% and 13.6% compliance rate on three categories of roads studied. Also, females complied more with the use of seat belts on each of the roads with compliance rates at 43.3%, 47.2% and 50% compared with males who had 32.6%, 38.6% and 39.6% seat belt compliance rates. Chi-square analysis showed significant variations in the use of seat belt on the roads (p < 0.05). The paper suggests increased awareness and enforcement of traffic laws among others in order to ensure sustainable use of seat belts among motorists in Nigeria.     

Parameters affecting seat belt use in Greece

The objective of this research is the exploration of seat belt use in Greece and particularly the identification of the parameters affecting seat belt use in Greece. A national field survey was conducted for the analytical recording of seat belt use. A binary logistic regression model was developed, and the impact of each parameter on seat belt use in Greece was quantified. Parameters included in the model concern characteristics of car occupants (gender, age and position in the car), the type of the car and the type of the road network. The data collection revealed that in Greece, the non-use of seat belt on the urban road network was higher than on the national and rural road network and young and older men use seat belts the least. The developed model showed that travelling on a national road is negative for not wearing the seat belt. Finally, the variable with the highest impact on not wearing a seat belt is being a passenger on the back seats.     

Parameters affecting seat belt use in Greece

The objective of this research is the exploration of seat belt use in Greece and particularly the identification of the parameters affecting seat belt use in Greece. A national field survey was conducted for the analytical recording of seat belt use. A binary logistic regression model was developed, and the impact of each parameter on seat belt use in Greece was quantified. Parameters included in the model concern characteristics of car occupants (gender, age and position in the car), the type of the car and the type of the road network. The data collection revealed that in Greece, the non-use of seat belt on the urban road network was higher than on the national and rural road network and young and older men use seat belts the least. The developed model showed that travelling on a national road is negative for not wearing the seat belt. Finally, the variable with the highest impact on not wearing a seat belt is being a passenger on the back seats.     

The rate of seat belt use and its related factors among car drivers in Tehran,Iran after imposing new regulations

The incidence of road crash deaths is high in Iran. Seat belts can reduce the risk of death or serious injury. This study aimed to estimate the rate of seat belt use and its related factors for car drivers in Tehran, Iran after proclamation of the 2011 legislation. A roadside observational study was conducted in 2012 and 10,752 cars and taxis commuting in different streets of Tehran were screened in regard to drivers' seat belt wearing. Other variables including gender, age range, type of street, district, time of day and day of week were also collected. The rate of seat belt use was 70.9%, and was significantly higher in females, elders and on freeways and significantly less in afternoon hours, side streets and in taxi drivers. The rate of seat belt use in Tehran (a representative of Iran) is still low despite the implementation of new legislations. More initiatives are needed to increase this rate especially in certain groups and areas.     

Promoting youth occupant restraint based on need

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for youth. Appropriate occupant protection significantly reduces these preventable injuries. Secondary field observation survey records were studied to identify populations that would most likely benefit from youth occupant protection programs. Multivariate regression analysis showed that drivers of youth between 4 and 14 years were in need of programs promoting youth and driver occupant restraint use. When these drivers were using seat belts, it was 35 times more likely they had youth occupants in safety restraints. A focus on pickup truck drivers may also give these programs greater efficacy in increasing youth restraint use. This study was limited to a single state, but the approach should be transferable to other jurisdictions where youth occupant protection field observation studies are conducted.     

Experience from a multivenue program to increase the use of car restraints in Greece

Objectives To evaluate a multivenue educational campaign aimed at increasing the use of car restraints in Greater Athens, Greece. Methods From October 1997 to June 1998, the campaign was implemented by a road safety coalition comprising 50 governmental and non-governmental organizations, while during the same period, seat belt law enforcement was not intensified. A pre-intervention survey was conducted in the summer of 1996 among the occupants of 1400 passenger cars and a post-intervention survey was carried out in the summer of 1998 (2250 cars). Both surveys followed the same protocol, focusing on the availability and use of seat belts. The data from the two surveys were modeled through multiple logistic regression. Results The odds ratio of seat belt use was significantly higher in 1998 than in 1996 (1.8 with 95% confidence interval = 1.5-2.1). Improvement was evident in highway traffic and among 25-64 year-old car occupants, but it was minimal among rear seat passengers, younger occupants, and in low-speed city and suburban traffic. There is evidence from the 1998 surveys that among front seat occupants, those travelling in larger engine capacity cars, frequently equipped with airbags, were less likely to use seat belts, whereas seat belting was more frequent among occupants of newer car models. Conclusion An education and information campaign in a Southern European country resulted in increased prevalence of seat belt use. A more intensive and sustained effort is required, however, to increase seat belt use in low-speed traffic and among rear seat occupants.     

Seat-belt use still low in Kuwait: self-reported driving behaviours among adult drivers

Kuwait mandated seat-belt use by drivers in 1976 and by front seat passengers in 1994. The study objectives were to identify and estimate current factors associated with seat-belt use and levels of potentially unsafe driving behaviours in Kuwait. In 2010, 741 adults were surveyed regarding driving habits and history. Only 41.6% of drivers reported always using a seat belt. Front seat passenger belt use was more common (30.5%) than rear seat belt use (6.5%). Distracted driving behaviours were common, including mobile phone use (‘always’ or ‘almost always’: 51.1%) and texting/SMS (32.4%). Logistic regression indicated that drivers who were young (18–19 years), male, Kuwaiti nationals or non-Kuwaiti Arabs, drove over the speed limit, had traffic violation tickets or >1 car crashes in the last year, were less likely to use seat belts. Targeted initiatives to increase public awareness and to enforce car-safety legislation, including use of seat belts, are necessary to decrease the health burden of car crashes in Kuwait.     

Seatbelt and child restraint use among vehicle occupants in Ho Chi Minh City: an observational study in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper presents the trend of seatbelt use, disaggregated by vehicle occupants, in Ho Chi Minh City between 2016 and 2018. We conducted statistical analyses to identify the determinants of seatbelt use, including the effect of a new fine imposed against seatbelt law violation in the rear seats that became effective in January 2018. Seatbelt use was observed in at least half of all vehicle occupants, and drivers were more likely to use seatbelts than passengers. Only 4.4% of children younger than 5-years and 2.5% of 5 to12-year-olds used a child restraint system. Seatbelt use increased among all occupants after the imposed fine, especially among rear-seat passengers. Imposing new or increasing fixed penalties, with enforcement and public education, may increase seatbelt use to prevent road traffic injuries.     

Consumer Risk Response and Consumer Protection: An Economic Analysis of Seat Belt Usage

A utility analysis of decisions involving risk indicated that risk averse consumers would undertake a risk reduction strategy as long as the change in expected loss was equal to or greater than the costs of the strategy. Cost-benefit analysis of seat belt usage was conducted to test this hypothesis. The results indicated that drivers of all size classes would gain from using seat belts in the case of low user costs while the drivers of subcompacts and compacts would gain in the case of higher user costs. However, less than one-fifth of drivers wear seat belts. These results raise questions concerning the effectiveness of the informed buyer approach in areas of risk or uncertainty.     

Determinants of severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents among motorcycle and car users in Southern Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with severe injury and mortality from road traffic accidents (RTA) among motorcycle and car users in southern Thailand. The data were obtained from the Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Thailand, for years 2008–2013. Chi-squared tests were used to assess associations between determinants and outcomes and these associations were then estimated after adjusting for possible confounding with other factors using logistic regression. Severe injury and mortality contributed 11.6% and 5% to RTA of motorcycle users, and 14.3% and 7.5% for car users. Among motorcycle users, male gender, older age, and not wearing a helmet increased severe injury and mortality rates, whereas drivers had more severe injuries than passengers. Older car users had higher severe injury and mortality rates, whereas not fastening seat belts had higher mortality. Safety device use should be made mandatory for both drivers and passengers. Male motorcycle users and the elderly should be focused on.     

Child motor vehicle occupant and pedestrian casualties before and after enactment of Child Restraint Seats Legislation in Japan

Problem. Prevention of injuries to child passengers is a significant public health priority, as motor vehicle-related injuries remain a leading cause of death for children in Japan. The purpose of compulsory child restraint seats legislation in April 2000 was to reduce the number of child passengers killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes.

Methods. The objectives of this preliminary evaluation are to measure the effectiveness, benefits and usage of safety seats for child passengers aged 1–5 years by analysing the child casualty data for the period of 1997–2002. Population and vehicle miles travelled based injury and fatality rates were used to compare before and after legislation trends in child casualties.

Results. Despite overall increases in the use of child restraint seats (as observed by different national surveys), overall casualty rates in motor vehicle occupants in the 1–5 year age group did not change (fatalities and serious injuries) or even increased (minor injuries).

Conclusions. Casualties among restrained children have not decreased since the law came to effect in the year 2000, perhaps because of incorrect usage of the seats. Given that exposure to crash environments is increasing, traffic safety advocates and public health community need to be aware of the importance of child restraints as a means of reducing the likelihood of injury. It is necessary to implement effective community-based child safety seat campaigns to disseminate the information on appropriate restraint use and to increase efforts to enforce the existing legislation.     

Matched analysis of parent’s and children’s attitudes and practices towards motor vehicle and bicycle safety: an important information gap

The purpose of this study was to compare parents’ and children’s attitudes and habits towards use of bicycle helmets and car seat belts. We hypothesized that parental perception of their children’s safety practices did not reflect actual behavior and further, that parental practices, rather than their beliefs about a particular safety practice, have a greater affect on their child’s risk-taking behavior. The study population consisted of children in grades four and five and their parents/guardians. Participation in the cross-sectional study was voluntary and confidential anonymous questionnaires were used. In separate and independent surveys, children and parents were questioned in parallel about their knowledge, habits and attitudes toward bicycle helmet use and car safety practices. In the study, 731 students participated with 329 matched child-parent pairs. Ninety-five percent of the children own bicycles and 88% have helmets. Seventy percent of parents report their child always wears a helmet, while only 51% of children report always wearing one (p &lt; 0.05). One-fifth of the children never wear a helmet, whereas parents think only 4% of their children never use one (p &lt; 0.05). Parents report their children wear seat belts 92% of the time while 30% of children report not wearing one. Thirty-eight percent of children ride bicycles with their parents and wear their helmets more often than those who do not ride with their parents (p &lt; 0.05). Parents who always wear a seat belt are more likely to have children who sit in the back seat and wear a seat belt (p &lt; 0.05). Parents’ perceptions of their children’s safety practices may not be accurate and their actions do affect their children’s. Injury prevention programs that target both parents and children may have a greater impact on reducing risk-taking behaviors than working with each group in isolation.     

Do parental decision-making patterns predict compliance with use of child booster seats?

Booster seat use for 4–9 year olds remains the lowest of all age groups in many countries. The objective of this study is to examine whether parents’ decision-making patterns, as measured by the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire, relate to car booster seat use. Israeli parents of 4–7 years old children (n = 398) answered a questionnaire about car safety and decision-making habits. Ninety per cent of parents reported having a booster seat; 70.5% reported consistent booster seat use in general and on short drives during the last month (booster seat use compliance index). Greater compliance index was positively related to a vigilant decision-making pattern, passenger compliance with rear seat belts and families with fewer children. Lower booster seat use compliance index was associated with buck-passing decision-making pattern. Health professionals and policy-makers should take into account parents’ habitual decision-making patterns when designing interventions for car booster seat compliance.     

Seat belt utilisation and awareness in UAE

Seat belts (SBs) are effective devices for reducing injury risk due to traffic accidents. Seat belt wearing was made compulsory in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January 1999 for drivers and front seat passengers (FSPs). No comprehensive study has ever assessed SB wearing rates across the country. Also, little is known on drivers' awareness of the importance of wearing seatbelts and how human factors affect wearing habits. This study aims to determine SB wearing rates for drivers and FSPs in UAE through an observational field study. It also aims to investigate perceptions and behaviour of drivers on this issue as well as human factors that affect wearing rate through a randomly distributed questionnaire. The results of the field study show that the overall SB wearing rate across the country was 61% for drivers and 43.4% for FSPs and that there were significant differences between the seven emirates that constitute the country. The questionnaire results show that age, education level, gender, marital status and nationality of drivers affect wearing habits and perceptions. Future implications in terms of improving traffic safety awareness are discussed.     

Safety at play: let's all help to prevent drowning

The association between place of residence, population density, relief and type of event (collision or non-collision of the vehicle) has not been evaluated in developing countries. The main objective of this study is to determine the differential factors associated with the occurrence of deaths of collision and non-collision automobile users in Patagonia, Argentina. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using as the dependent variable death by car accident (collision or non-collision of the vehicle) and sex, age, place of residence of the victim, relief and population density as the independent variables. Collision fatalities were related to areas of high population density, while non-collision fatalities were related to areas of low population density, mountainous landscape and place of residence of the victims outside the Patagonian region. The results obtained in this study indicate the need to develop differential primary prevention policies by place of residence of car occupants, focusing on Patagonia non-resident drivers and by emphasising non-collision accidents.     

Bayesian hierarchical statistics for traffic safety modelling and forecasting

Abstract

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) represent a serious problem globally causing losses in many ways. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have a high rate of RTAs compared to other high-income countries. In this study, a Bayesian hierarchical model was utilized for accident counts forecasting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This work will help traffic planners and decision makers to enhance road safety levels and decrease accident fatality rate. Accidents data along 5 years from 2008 to 2012 at 143 road sites in Abu Dhabi with 5,511 accidents were used. The proposed model considered a number of covariates; speed limit, type of road, number of lanes, type of area, weather, time, surface condition and seat belt usage. Five sites with the highest numbers of accidents were studied. Year 2012 was used to validate predictions. The model prediction accuracy was 72%.     

Knowledge and attitude of safety belt use among professional drivers in a tertiary Nigerian institution

Safety belt (SB) use prevents and reduces the severity of injuries during motor vehicle crashes, and its use is influenced by the perceived risk inherent in any journey. Over the years, most studies have focused on the effectiveness of the belt among commercial drivers. This study assessed drivers' knowledge, attitude and use of SB in a tertiary institution in Nigeria. The study, which was a cross-sectional survey, was designed to document professional drivers' knowledge and use of SB and their attitude towards use. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 202 out of 228 drivers employed by the University of Ibadan aged 35-60 years who were at work and consented during the period of data collection. The respondents' mean knowledge score on SB was 8.9 SD?±?1.4 out of 11 points. Eighty-six percent agreed that SB should be fastened when driving. Many of the respondents had a positive attitude to the use of seatbelts, 95.5% disagreed with the idea that a seatbelt causes accidents, while 80.2% also disagreed with the belief that a seatbelt was for educated drivers. There was a statistical significant association between respondents' attitude to SB use and age, year of experience, education (p?相似文献   

Non-seatbelt use and associated factors among passengers

Seatbelt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce severe injuries. However, the percentage of non-seatbelt use is still high among drivers and passengers. Although the factors related to non-seatbelt use among drivers have been widely studied, the factors associated with non-seatbelt use among passengers have not been well documented. In addition, recent surveys showed that the driver's attitude has a significant impact on the passenger's seatbelt use. However, the lower response rate and less accurate of self-reported seatbelt use in survey studies, especially among participants who had a high level perception of penalty for non-seatbelt use. Therefore, we examined the association between passenger's seatbelt use and driver's seatbelt use with a statewide injury surveillance system. 36,012 passengers who were involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVC) in 2004–2013 were included in this study. Our results showed that if a driver wore a seatbelt, 92.6% of his/her passengers also wore seatbelts while if a driver did not wear a seatbelt, only 19.1% of his/her passengers wore seatbelts. Compared to the passenger whose driver wore a seatbelt, the passenger had a significantly higher probability of non-seatbelt use (odds ratio = 46.7; 95% confidence intervals, 42.7–51.1) if his/her driver did not wear a seatbelt. The driver has the greatest influence on the passenger's seatbelt use. The findings will provide important information for future public health practices to increase seatbelt use at the highest possible rate for passengers, such as educational interventions for drivers and seatbelt reminders use.     

Seatbelt use among drivers in an urban city in Nigeria: an observational study

Studies from parts of Nigeria reported low compliance with seatbelt. This study sought to establish driver seatbelt use in Enugu, Nigeria by gender, vehicle type/use and time of day. Observations were done day and night at randomly selected locations. Data were analysed with SPSS version 15. Differences in response were checked with chi-square for trend. Confidence interval was 95% and P value < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Average compliance was 37.6% for the 510 males (85%) and 90 females (15%) observed. It was 74.8% in the day and 0.3% at night. Among males, 218 (42.7%) wore seatbelt while 9 (10%) females did. For commercial drivers 159 (65.2%) complied while 68 (19.1%) private drivers did. Truck drivers had 100% compliance while sports utility vehicle drivers had the lowest (18.8%). There is poor seatbelt compliance in Enugu, Nigeria and need for educational campaigns and stricter enforcement.