Knowledge of Factors Affecting Road Traffic Accidents among Medical Students of Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are a major concern globally, causing 1.24 million deaths and injuring up to 50 million people each year. This highlights the urgent need to address road safety issues.

Objective: To assess the knowledge and perceptions of the medical students studying in Islamabad about contributing risk factors associated with road traffic accidents.

Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024 and included 342 study participants from six medical colleges in Islamabad. Data on knowledge and perceptions of participants about factors affecting road traffic accidents were collected using a self-designed questionnaire. The analysis of collected data was done by using SPSS version 25. Chi-square test was applied by considering p-value ≤0.05 as significant.

Results: Out of 342 participants, 153 (44.7%) were male students. Regarding knowledge of participants about the role of environmental factors in RTAs, most accidents occur on Highway 221 (64.6%), during night time 169 (49.4%), and during foggy weather 258 (75.4%). Regarding vehicle factors; motorbikes 234 (68.4%) and 157 (45.9%) were considered old vehicles commonly involved. Regarding human factors affecting RTAs, 321 (93.9%) participants believed that the health of drivers, 261 (76.3%) thought poor eyesight, 200 (58.5%) believed that young age, and the majority 325 (95%) agreed on the influence of drugs in causing RTAs. Poor road conditions were perceived by 330 (96.5%) as the cause of RTAs.

Conclusion: Participants in the study demonstrated a high level of knowledge about factors influencing road traffic accidents, such as environmental, human, road, and safety measures.