Abstract
Few studies have been conducted on the incidence and factors which contribute to road traffic collisions in Trinidad. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) study among drivers to determine which factors contributed to these accidents. A questionnaire was developed and administered using a cross-sectional approach among 3000 persons living in 5 different areas of Trinidad. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 22, t-test and multivariate analysis. Of the 2998 respondents, at least 572 (19.1%) had been involved in one or more road collisions. While only 46.7% of respondents always wore seat belts, approximately 93% believed strongly that their use was essential for safety—a 3-fold increase in that found in a previous study. The multiple regression analysis indicated that attitude and age were significantly associated with accidents and increased risk for accidents. The results showed that alcohol consumption, use of mobile phones while driving, speed, and age were significantly (p > 0.001) associated with accidents. In conclusion, most respondents were aware of traffic laws and regulations, but their knowledge and practice often diverged. However the improvement in attitude to seat-belt wearing suggests that a holistic driver education program may improve driver practice and adherence to the road traffic regulations in Trinidad.
Highlights
The results showed that alcohol consumption, use of mobile phones while driving, speed, and age were significantly (p > 0.001) associated with accidents
A total 2998 residents of Trinidad and Tobago participated in this study which is equivalent to a compliance rate 99%, with only 2 persons refusing to participate
The analyzed results indicated that 2998 drivers responded, of which circa 19% were involved in road traffic accidents
Summary
Road traffic collisions (RTC) account for approximately 1.24 million deaths each year. Gopaul et al 406 or 3400 per day, with the majority of deaths reported from low-income countries [1] or in rural communities in high-income countries [2]. With respect to global morbidity, up to 50 million have suffered injuries by road traffic collisions [1]. It is estimated that approximately 41.2 million persons have experienced an adjustment in life expectancy and in the quality of their life caused by road-related injuries and this figure is expected to rise. In 2004, road traffic collisions were considered the ninth world leading cause of morbidity (health care burden) and this is expected to move to third position by 2030 [1]
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