New generation vehicles: The impact of electric scooter trauma on the severity of facial fractures assessed by FISS score. A multicentre study.

With the increasing use of sustainable energy sources, the electric scooter has become a widely used vehicle. The aim of the study is to analyse the types of facial fracture related to road traffic accidents to outline the need of dedicated road rules. An observational, retrospective, multicentre study was carried out at the Maxillofacial Surgery Units of six Italian hospitals. Fifty patients (mean age was 34.76 years) from January 2020 to January 2024 were enrolled. The severity of trauma was evaluated by the Facial Injury Severity Scale (FISS) by Bagheri et al. Most of the accidents occurred during the day and the weekend in spring or summer; 24 drivers collided with infrastructures or pedestrians, while 26 involved other vehicles. A total of 33 vehicles were rented, and 17 were privately owned. A total of 43 subjects were not wearing helmets, five patients were drunk, and three patients took drugs. In order of frequency, the facial fractures involved: zygomatico-maxillary-orbital complex (ZMOC) (n = 16), mandibular condyle (n = 13), nasal bone (n = 11), orbit floor (n = 8), and mandibular body (n = 7). Fractures such as Le Fort I (n = 4), naso-orbito-ethmoidal NOE (n = 4) and mandibular ramus (n = 4) were less common. Other types of facial fracture were rare. Thirty patients reported multiple facial fractures. The vast majority of the cases showed a low severity grade FISS score. Fifteen patients suffered polytrauma. The mean hospitalisation time was 8.3 days. As accidents with electric scooters are increasing, it is important to characterise the most frequent facial fractures to improve patient management and encourage the introduction of new road rules.

Road accidents on Indian National highways, ambulance reachability and transportation of injured to trauma facility: Survey-based introspection of golden hour.

Background: The transportation system plays a crucial role in the context of socioeconomic development, whereas the highway infrastructure acts as a base for the transportation system. In recent years, a rich impetus has been given to the development of road infrastructure by Indian governance. There is a need to introspect how well the prevailing highway infrastructure is equipped with emergency rescue management during road accidents. Lack of ambulance service and trauma facilities along the highways results in a steady loss of lives and injuries and increases people's exposure to risks. Objective: This study aims to determine the response time of ambulance reachability to the accident spot on Indian national highways associated with heavy commercial transportation. Also, determining the time to transport the injured to the nearest trauma facility is another factor included as an objective in this investigation. Methods: The study adopted survey-based research, whereby the variables in the questionnaire were designed to record and assess the time for an ambulance to reach the accident spot and, from there, to transport the injured to the trauma management facility on Indian highways. Two hundred twenty-five participants who were either victims/relatives of victims or those involved in the rescue of the injured have participated in the survey. The dates of the accident events were 2017 and 2022. Results: The survey resulted in the identification of two categories of highway accidents. The first category of accidents happened on the highways near city limits/dense settlements, and the second category occurred on the core highways. The percentage of accidents caused on the highways either adjacent to or passing through the city limits/dense settlements was reported to be higher than the accidents on the core highways. Ninety percent of the participants reported successful contact with the ambulance call/service centre, but only ~75% success rate exists for ambulances to reach the accident scene. On the core highways, the time taken for the ambulance to arrive at the accident scene is 25-35 minutes. The results from the survey ascertained that the patients were prioritised for treatment in the nearest hospitals (irrespective of having a trauma facility) at a distance of ~12-20 km, for which the time taken is ~15-25 minutes. Importantly, from the interviews, it is understood that in many cases, these hospitals have further referred to specialty hospitals located in nearby cities or trauma centres with greater facilities. Occasions exist where the injured were taken directly to hospitals 30-40 km from the accident spot, for which the time was more than 40 minutes. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that in either of the accident cases on the highways that are adjacent to/passing through the city limits or on the core highways, the total time for emergency care accessibility is nearly 60 minutes or greater; this implies that in the majority of cases, there is very meagre time left to provide emergency medical care to the needy and injured on the Indian highways to abide by the concept of golden hour. Plausible reforms backed by technology for enabling highways into 'emergency rescuable highways' are highly needed to guarantee a safer and more sustainable transportation system in India.

Understanding the relationship between road users and the roadway infrastructure in Ghana.

Ghana exemplifies the contribution of road crashes to mortality and morbidity in Africa, partly due to a growing population and increasing car ownership, where fatalities have increased by 12 to 15 % annually since 2008 (National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), 2017). The study described in this paper focused on understanding driver behavior at unsignalized junctions in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Understanding driver behavior at unsignalized junctions is particularly important since failure to stop or yield can seriously affect vulnerable road users. The study's objectives were to develop relationships between driver behavior and junction characteristics. Understanding the characteristics that lead to determining what factors influence a driver's behavioral response at rural junctions provides information for policy makers to determine the best strategies to address these behaviors. The study evaluated stopping behavior at rural junctions. Driver behavior was extracted from video views of ten junctions in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A total of 3,420 vehicles were observed across all ten junctions during data collection before any analysis was conducted. The type of stop was selected as a surrogate measure of safety. Logistic regression was used to model stopping behavior at the selected junctions. The analysis showed drivers were more likely to stop when going straight (versus a left turn) and left turning vehicles were more likely to stop than right turning vehicles. Additionally, single unit trucks and tro-tros were more likely to stop than other vehicle types. Drivers were also much more likely to stop when channelization, intersection lighting, or speed humps were present. Drivers at junctions with 4-approaches were also more likely to stop than those with 3 approaches. The results from this research contribute valuable information about what factors contribute to positive safety behaviors at rural junctions. This provides guidance for safety professionals to select solutions and can be a valuable tool to predict the economical effectiveness of solutions to addressing junction safety in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) such as Ghana. The results can also provide insight and recommendations to Ghanaian road safety agencies and launch sustainable efforts to raise community awareness toward decreasing road crash fatalities in Ghana.

Good weather for a ride (or not?): how weather conditions impact road accidents - a case study from Wielkopolska (Poland).

This study offers a likely assessment of extreme meteorological events' impact on human perceptivity, frame of mind or even health during driving which might have had a consequence as a car accident. Research covered an analysis of car accidents during period 2010-2019 in the Wielkopolska (Poland) and four indices like maximum daily temperature, maximum value of humidex, difference between maximum temperatures observed from day to day and also difference between mean atmospheric pressure at the sea level observed from day to day. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) approach was used to obtain the relationship between these indices and car accidents. Our finding evidence that the "good weather for a ride" conditions are actually generating an increased risk of accidents. For indices related to high temperature, i.e., maximum temperature and humidex, it was possible to identify the critical values by which the risks of car accidents were the highest.

Spike of Motorbike Accidents in Bangladesh: An Emerging Public Health Concern.

The on-road traffic accident is a significant public health concern for Bangladesh, impeding the country's way to building safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements. On-road accidents and causalities doubled in the country between 2011 and 2020, and it increased by 30% in 2021, a shifting pattern of traffic accidents with an increasing number of motorbike accidents. The fatalities by motorcycle traffic accidents were only 4% in 1995 and rose substantially to 35% in 2021, and the situation has been more alarming during the festivals, especially Eid in Bangladesh.

An application of the hybrid AHP-PROMETHEE approach to evaluate the severity of the factors influencing road accidents.

The evaluation of the severity of the factors influencing road accidents with a detailed severity distribution is critical to plan evidence-based road safety improvements and strategies. However, currently available studies use statistical and machine learning (ML) models to evaluate the severity of factors causing road accidents without a detailed severity distribution. Further, most of these available models require significant pre-data processing and have certain data-centric limitations. However, the multi criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques have the potential to combine expert opinions for robust analysis without any pre-data processing calculations. Thus, this study uses a hybrid analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) approach to analyse the severity of factors and characteristics that influence road accidents within the Gujarat state, using injury types as criteria and minor road accident influencing factors as alternatives. These 82 minor factors have been further characterised into 18 characteristics and 4 major factors. Further, AHP integrated 40 expert inputs to determine criterion weights, while PROMETHEE ranked all minor variables. Then, after applying k-mean clustering, each ranked factor has been classified as very severe, moderately severe, or severe. The result clearly highlights that overspeeding, male gender, and clear weather conditions have been concluded to be the highly severe factors for Gujarat state. Thus, by providing a clear severity analysis and distribution of factors influencing road accidents, the proposed research may help government stakeholders, researchers, and politicians build severity-based road safety reforms and strategies with clarity.

Distracted Driving Behavior Among Adults in the Perambalur District: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Distracted driving is a major public health concern. Distraction results in reduced speed control, lateral lane position, reduced situational awareness, and impaired response times to roadway hazards. Visual, cognitive, and manual distractions impair drivers in different ways. With the above background, this study was conducted with the objective of estimating the proportion of distracted driving behavior and its predictors among the adult population in the Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu, India, by using the Total Distracted Driving Scale. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 adults aged 18 years and above by convenience sampling technique in the Perambalur district for six months. A pretested, semi-structured proforma was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics such as age, sex, education, and occupation. To quantify distracted driving behavior, the Total Distracted Driving Scale was used. This scale contains seven questions about talking on the phone, five questions about texting, and five questions about using specific devices while driving. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distracted driving behavior with respect to each variable, and to find out the significance, a corresponding statistical test was employed. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of the study participants was 24.86 ± 10.63 years. More than half of the study subjects (52.4 percent) were females, and around 87.3 percent of them were Hindu by religion. Among the study participants, around 66.74 percent mentioned that they had used a cell phone while driving. Around 38 percent of the study participants admitted that they had been in or were near-crash circumstances during the past year. Around 87 percent of the study participants who had a crash or near-crash in the past year admitted that they had been distracted while driving. On primary analysis, religion of individuals and increased driving frequency had a statistically significant association with a history of distracted driving. Study participants who were using three- and four-wheelers and those who used cellphones while driving had a statistically significant association with a history of distracted driving. According to the regression, cell phone users are 3.915 times more distracted than those who do not use cellphones (p = 0.001). Subjects with a history of crashes or near-crashes were 56.96 times more distracted than those without a history (p < 0.001). Conclusion In the present study, three-fourths of the study population used a cell phone while driving. More than three-fourths of the study participants admitted that they had been in a crash or near-crash circumstances during the past year. Distracted driving was responsible for four-fifths of all crashes or near-collisions. Use of a cell phone while driving and a history of near-crashes have a higher risk of distraction than those who do not.

Characteristics of E-Scooter-Related Maxillofacial Injuries over 2019-2022-Retrospective Study from Poznan, Poland.

Recently, there has been a considerable rise in the popularity and use of electric scooters. Because of this, the number of accidents involving them has also risen. Head and neck injuries are the most common. The aim of the study was to determine the most frequent craniofacial injuries resulting from accidents involving electric scooters, and to identify the risk factors directly related to their placement and severity. The study carried out a retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients of the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery over 2019-2022, in terms of craniofacial injuries suffered as a result of e-scooter-related accidents. In the study population (31 cases), of which 61.3% were men, the median age was 27 years. At the time of the accident, 32.3% patients were under the influence of alcohol. Accidents were most common in the 21-30 age group; more often than not, they occurred during warm months and on weekends. The study identified a total of 40 fractures in the patients. The most common craniofacial injuries were mandibular fractures (37.5%), zygomatic-orbital fractures (20%) and frontal bone fractures (10%). A multidimensional correspondence analysis was also performed, which showed that at an age of under 30, alcohol consumption and female gender were associated with a higher likelihood of mandibular fracture. Proper education on the risks associated with the use of e-scooters is essential, with particular emphasis on the impact of alcohol on the driver. It is important to develop diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms for doctors, both in ED and in specialised departments.

Does social capital matter? A study of hit-and-run in US counties.

We investigate the relationship between social capital and a decision that has dire health consequences: fleeing after a road accident. This event is unplanned, and the decision is taken under great emotional distress and time pressure, thus providing a test of whether social capital matters for behaviour in extreme conditions. We merge data from the universe of fatality accidents involving pedestrians in the US over the period 2000-2018 with a dataset on social capital measures at the county level. Using within-state-year variation, our results show that one standard deviation increase in social capital is associated with a reduction in the probability of hit-and-run of around 10.5%. Several falsification tests based on differences in social capital endowment between the county where the accident occurs and the county where the driver resides are suggestive of a causal interpretation of this evidence. Our findings show the importance of social capital in a new context, suggesting a broad impact on pro-social behaviour and adding to the positive returns of promoting civic norms.

Do Confucian values and working experience matter? The impact of provincial governors' characteristics on the management level of major road accidents in China.

Upper echelons theory (UET) proposes that organizational outcomes are directly affected by the experiences, personalities, and values of individuals who occupy critical managerial roles within an organization. Using the lens of UET, this study investigates how governors' characteristics affect the management level of major road accidents (MLMRA). The empirical work is based on fixed effects regression models that are applied to Chinese provincial panel data from 2008 to 2017. This study uncovers that the MLMRA is associated with governors' tenure, central background, and Confucian values. We further document that the effect of Confucianism on the MLMRA is stronger when traffic regulation pressure is high. This study has the potential to advance our understanding of the impact of leaders' characteristics on organizational outcomes in the public sector.

Perception of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder among Persons Involved in Road Accidents at an Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Alcohol plays a significant role in road traffic accidents in Ghana. However, little is known about the perspectives of victims who suffer road traffic accidents, RTAs, and the extent to which alcohol use disorder is involved. Methodology: We conducted a three-month cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital involving 102 patients involved in a road accident and presented to the hospital's emergency. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, AUDIT, was used to assess for Alcohol Use Disorder, AUD, at a score of 8. In addition, we used open-ended questionnaires to assess their perception of alcohol use and road accidents. Results: Of the 102 respondents, 75% were males, and 60% were between 15 and 35 years old. About 69% of respondents admitted to using alcohol, while 31%, including a single female, screened positive for alcohol use disorder. A significant majority of about 90% of respondents believed in some myths of alcohol use in Ghana, and a similar percentage were aware of the risks alcohol use posed to road use. Over 30% of respondents, mainly drivers or riders, had used alcohol within 12 hours of the accident. All but three respondents knew alcohol-induced aggression and poor coordination of movements. A similar number of respondents knew alcohol made people cross roads carelessly and were hyperactive or disinhibited. Conclusion: Alcohol use and alcohol use disorder are significantly high among persons presenting with RTA to the emergency. Knowledge of the deleterious effects of alcohol is high, yet their behavior did not reflect the knowledge. Therefore, a significant reduction in RTA can be achieved by enforcing blood alcohol concentration limits for road users and intensive education to the populace.

Prevalence and Determinants of Road Traffic Accidents in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.

Globally, the frequency of road traffic accidents (RTAs) is sharply rising. It is concerning that the number of RTAs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has risen within the past ten years. As a result, laws governing things like speeding and seat belt use must be implemented to ensure driving safety. This study aims to determine the prevalence and determinants of road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia. A thorough search was carried out in November 2023, mostly using PubMed, in compliance with PRISMA criteria. The search was limited to English-language research examining the causes of road traffic accidents and their prevalence. Certain inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to guarantee the quality and applicability of the evaluated research. A wide spectrum of research from Saudi Arabia was included in the study without focusing on a specific gender. A discernible pattern indicated a high proportion of individuals affected by road traffic accidents. According to the findings of our investigation, there is growing evidence that Despite recent improvements in the incidence of road accidents, there is still significant variation in the incidence of accidents in Saudi Arabia. These results indicate that further study is needed to understand road accident prevention better.

Use of Mobile Technologies for Driving, Road Accidents, Health, and Psychological Variables in Colombian Drivers / Uso de Tecnologias Móviles para la Conducción, Accidentabilidad Vial, Salud y Variables Psicológicas en Conductores Colombianos

Abstract The aim of this investigation is to show the relationships between the use of Mobile Driving Applications and Devices (MDAD) with self-reported road accidents, anger, physical health, and subjective wellbeing, in three types of Colombian drivers. The sample is non-randomized (n = 1149) and 93.2% are male drivers. Results showed that (a) for professional drivers, there is an inverse correlation between the use of MDAD with lower driving frequency during weekdays and a higher educational level, (b) for occasional drivers, GPS use was directly associated with fatal road accidents and low driving frequency during weekdays, (C) for private drivers, correlations were found between MDAD broader usage, higher levels of both aggression and perceived driving difficulty as well as physical health problems mainly hypertension and diabetes. It is necessary to conduct in-depth research on MDAD uses, health, and driving styles, by controlling social desirability.

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación es mostrar las relaciones entre el uso de Dispositivos y Aplicaciones Móviles para la Conducción (DAMC) con la accidentalidad vial auto reportada, la ira, la salud física y el bienestar subjetivo, en tres tipos de conductores colombianos. La muestra es no aleatoria (n = 1149) y el 93.2% son conductores varones. Los resultados muestran que (a) en conductores profesionales, hay una correlación inversa entre el uso de DAMC con una menor fre-cuencia de conducción entre semana y con un mayor nivel educativo, (b) en conductores ocasionales, mayor uso de GPS asociado con accidentes fatales y con menor frecuencia de conducción entre semana, (C) en conductores particulares, mayor uso de DAMC relacionado con niveles más altos de agresividad y de dificultad percibida para conducir, y con más problemas de salud -principalmente hipertensión y diabetes. Es necesario realizar investigaciones en profundidad acerca de los usos de DAMC, salud y estilos de conducción, mediante el control de la deseabilidad social.

Generation Paths of Major Road Accidents Based on Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis.

In the process of continuously promoting safety management, major road accidents have become a key obstacle to improving overall road safety. The analysis of the overall road accidents hides the characteristics and laws of major road accidents. To clarify the causes of major road accidents, an analysis framework of "individual-vehicle-environment-management" is presented based on a literature review. Considering the interaction of the above variables, the fuzz-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to explore the generating paths of major road accidents based on 42 road accidents. The work shows that: (1) Major road accidents are caused due to the interactive coupling of "individual-vehicle-environment-management" elements. Major road accidents can occur with normal driving behaviors or sufficient response and rescue capabilities. (2) General road accidents and relatively major road accidents are more likely to occur in the presence of driving behavior errors, favorable road facilities, and sufficient response and rescue capabilities. Moreover, major road accidents are more likely to occur due to large vehicles with adverse vehicle performances. (3) There are three path modes and five condition configurations in major road accidents, namely individual-vehicle-management induced, individual-vehicle-environment induced, and vehicle induced mode. This work enriches the accident causation mode from a new configuration perspective and explains which variable combinations lead to the occurrence of major road accidents. Clarification of the differences between general accidents and major accidents will help to accurately predict and restrain the development of major road accidents.

A survey on road hazardous material transportation accidents in Iran.

Hazardous material road transportation is one of the most challenging procedures performed by large trucks and trailers. In this study, after examining and analyzing road hazardous material transportation accidents, occurred over 5 years in Iran, the contributing factors of road hazardous material transportation accidents were determined. Subsequently, the introduced factors were prioritized using fault tree analysis and the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory. The results revealed that the frequency of accidents has significantly increased in recent years. It is shown that the three pivotal factors in road hazardous material transportation accidents were transport vehicle, packaging and loading of hazardous materials, and human factors. These findings provide an empirically supported theoretical basis for transportation corporations to take corrective and preventative measures to reduce the accident risks. A novel technique has been introduced for analyzing the causes of road hazardous material transportation accidents. Finally, the absence of hazardous material transportation companies in Iran is introduced as a critical reason for the higher frequency of such accidents in Iran compared to other countries.

The relationship between self-reported ability emotional intelligence and risky driving behaviour: Consequences for accident and traffic ticket rate.

Road safety represents one of the main public health issues worldwide, and risky driving behaviour is one of the most predominant factors in traffic road accidents. The primary objective of this research was to clarify the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) abilities and the probability of engaging in risky behaviour during driving. Previous literature linking these constructs is limited, and research has yielded mixed findings. In the present study, 555 drivers from a Spanish community sample (Mage = 39.34, ranging from 18 to 79 years old; 49.19% women) were assessed on risky driving behaviour using the Dula Dangerous Driving Index while self-reported ability EI was measured using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Gender, age, and driving experience were controlled. The results of this study revealed that a higher self-reported ability EI, particularly the ability to regulate emotions, was related to a lower tendency to engage in risky driving behaviours. In turn, self-reported ability EI was negatively and indirectly related to the number of road accidents and traffic tickets through the mediating effect of risky driving. The regulation of emotions (via direct and indirect effect) and the appraisal of the emotions of others (via direct effect) were the EI abilities that better predicted the number of accidents and traffic tickets. We discuss the practical implications of these findings, along with suggested future lines of research.

A Review on Flexible Electrochemical Biosensors to Monitor Alcohol in Sweat.

The continued focus on improving the quality of human life has encouraged the development of increasingly efficient, durable, and cost-effective products in healthcare. Over the last decade, there has been substantial development in the field of technical and interactive textiles that combine expertise in electronics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Most recently, the creation of textile biosensors capable of quantifying biometric data in biological fluids is being studied, to detect a specific disease or the physical condition of an individual. The ultimate goal is to provide access to medical diagnosis anytime and anywhere. Presently, alcohol is considered the most commonly used addictive substance worldwide, being one of the main causes of death in road accidents. Thus, it is important to think of solutions capable of minimizing this public health problem. Alcohol biosensors constitute an excellent tool to aid at improving road safety. Hence, this review explores concepts about alcohol biomarkers, the composition of human sweat and the correlation between alcohol and blood. Different components and requirements of a biosensor are reviewed, along with the electrochemical techniques to evaluate its performance, in addition to construction techniques of textile-based biosensors. Special attention is given to the determination of biomarkers that must be low cost and fast, so the use of biomimetic materials to recognize and detect the target analyte is turning into an attractive option to improve electrochemical behavior.

Identification and analysis of offenders causing hit and run accidents using classification algorithms.

Hit-and-run crashes are significant concern for many countries. Due to lack of information of offending vehicles it is difficult to understand dynamics of these crashes to have a prevention plan. The paper aims to identify the impacting vehicle in hit-and-run crashes. We studied fatal road crashes of New Delhi for eleven years (2006-2016) and found that approximately 40% fatal crashes are hit-and-run with unknown impacting vehicles. We proposed a framework using eleven different machine learning-based classification algorithms - Logistic-Regression, KNN, SVM-Linear and RBF-Kernel, Naïve-Bayes, Random-Forest, DecisionTree, AdaBoost, Multilayer-Perceptron, CART and Linear-Discriminant-Analysis. We found SVM-linear-kernel gave best results. Results reveal that cars, buses, and heavy vehicles are involved vehicles in hit-and-run crashes. Buses were primary cause leading to 39% of hit-and-run during 2006-2009 thereafter cars increased drastically. Our framework is robust and scalable to any city. The outcomes provide inputs to traffic engineers for better policy prescription and road user safety.

Factors associated with crash severity on Bangladesh roadways: empirical evidence from Dhaka city.

As road traffic accidents (RTAs) cause enormous economic and human losses, especially in developing countries, numerous research efforts are needed to identify the key risk factors that significantly influence accident and crash severity. Despite that Dhaka city is registering alarming rises in related deaths and severe injuries, Bangladesh has yet to collect significant RTAs data. Thus, this study adopts probit and Heckman selection probit models to investigate RTAs and injury severity levels using original data from an on-field survey collecting 786 participants' responses regarding their socio-economic and demographic characteristics, their knowledge of road traffic systems and rules, the roads and vehicles types, and the road infrastructure conditions. Probit model showed that the major risk factors that increase road accidents causing severe injuries were wrong-way driving, and lack of speed control signs and adequate street lights. RTAs resulting in severe injuries were significantly associated with being married, not having an educational degree, driving on highways and in city areas. Furthermore, the Heckman probit model's selection equation showed that respondents who were unaware of road accident risks, resided in rural areas, and with high household income had higher risks of being directly involved in RTAs.

Actitudes protectoras relacionadas con la seguridad vial en conductores de Villavicencio (Colombia) / Protective Attitudes Related to Road Safety Among Drivers in Villavicencio (Colombia)

Resumen La inseguridad vial es un tema de interés para la sociedad, por sus implicaciones y consecuencias en cuanto al costo social, económico y en la salud pública. El objetivo del presente estudio fue conocer el nivel de actitudes protectoras hacia la seguridad vial en conductores de la ciudad colombiana de Villavicencio. Para esto se empleó un instrumento de 18 ítems sobre conductas de riesgo, conductas de prevención y emociones en la conducción. La muestra conformada por 1018 conductores fue de disponibilidad. Los resultados muestran una fiabilidad interna alta del instrumento y una estructura factorial de cuatro dimensiones. Además, los hombres, los conductores de taxis y de camionetas, las personas con menor nivel educativo o con estado civil de unión libre, mostraron los niveles más altos de conductas de riesgo y de velocidad excesiva. El nivel de ira al manejar fue mayor en las personas separadas. Si bien condiciones como la edad, el sexo, el estado civil, el nivel de escolaridad y factores como el tipo de vehículo, las fallas técnicas del vehículo, el ambiente y el diseño de las vías públicas influyen, de algún modo, en el comportamiento de los conductores, es, en últimas, el elemento subjetivo en la conducción la variable clave en la explicación de la accidentalidad vial. No obstante, los comportamientos desfavorables hacia la seguridad vial pueden modificarse mediante un programa formativo que se fundamente en un modelo de cambio de actitudes.

Abstract Road insecurity is a topic of interest for society, due to its implications and consequences in terms of social, economic, and public health costs. This paper aimed to determine the level of protective attitudes towards road safety in drivers from Villavicencio, Colombia. For this purpose, an 18-item instrument was used, measuring risk behaviors, preventive behaviors, and emotions while driving. The sample was non-randomized, with 1018 car, bus, motorcycle, taxi, van, or truck drivers. Results showed high internal reliability of the instrument and a factorial structure with four dimensions. Also, male, taxi, and van/truck drivers, people with low educational levels, or with a marital status of free union showed the highest levels of risk behaviors and excessive speed. The anger level while driving was higher for divorced people. Although conditions such as age, sex, marital status, level of education, and factors such as vehicle type, vehicle technical issues, and environment and road design have some influence on drivers' behaviors, it is ultimately the subjective element in driving the key variable explaining road accidents. However, unfavorable road safety behaviors can be modified through a training program based on an attitude change model.