A Comprehensive Evaluation of Road Safety Awareness Among Drivers and

Motorists in Zamboanga Peninsula

ABSTRACT: Road safety is a matter of paramount concern on a global scale, given the substantial
loss of life and injury resulting from road accidents every year. This comprehensive study is
dedicated to a meticulous examination of road safety awareness and responsible conduct among
drivers and motorists in Zamboanga Peninsula, situated in the Philippines. The central aim of this
research is to conduct a detailed evaluation of the current status of road safety awareness and the
responsible behaviors of drivers and motorists within Zamboanga Peninsula. Our intention is to
identify the pivotal factors that influence road safety awareness and to recognize the barriers
obstructing the translation of this awareness into responsible road behavior. To accomplish this aim,
the researchers have employed quantitative techniques. A meticulously structured questionnaire
survey was administered to a diverse cohort of drivers and motorists, which facilitated the collection
of multifaceted data encompassing demographics, the level of awareness regarding road safety
regulations, and the determinants impacting their on-road conduct. The quantitative dataset
underwent rigorous analysis employing an array of statistical methods, with the mean scores and
ranking system employed to dissect the collected data. The outcomes of this comprehensive
research endeavor unveil a myriad of critical insights. Foremost, a conspicuous gender disparity is
evident among road users in Zamboanga Peninsula, with males constituting the majority. Intriguingly,
a substantial proportion of drivers falls within the age bracket of 26-35, signifying the demographic
significance of this cohort. On the aspect of road safety awareness, the study affirms the presence of
a robust understanding of fundamental road safety principles, yet it highlights the imperative need for
focused attention to areas such as overtaking rules and the usage of mobile phones during driving.
The research points to inconsistent law enforcement and high levels of traffic congestion as the most
influential factors contributing to deficiencies in road safety awareness. This comprehensive study
serves to illuminate the complex road safety landscape in Zamboanga Peninsula. It underscores the
compelling necessity for region-specific interventions that cater to the prevalent gender and age
disparities among road users. Moreover, the research findings emphasize the pivotal roles of law
enforcement, traffic management, education, and targeted awareness campaigns in the quest for an
improved road safety scenario.

PROBLEM: Conduct a detailed evaluation of the current status of road safety awareness and the
responsible behaviors of drivers and motorists within Zamboanga Peninsula

OBJECTIVES:

 is to scrutinize the effectiveness and influence of extant road safety programs and
campaigns concerning road user awareness in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
 aim is to proffer invaluable insights that can furnish policymakers and stakeholders with an
understanding of the prevailing initiatives' strengths and weaknesses, ultimately forging the
path to refinement.

METHODOLOGY: The method used by the researchers in this study was a quantitative method. It is
used to study relationships between factors, which are measured and recorded as research
variables. The purpose of quantitative research is to attain greater knowledge and understanding of
the social world. Researchers use quantitative methods to observe situations or events that affect
people. Quantitative studies are often fast, focused, scientific and relatable. The speed and
efficiency of the quantitative method are attractive to many researchers. Data computing equipment
makes it possible to process and analyze data quickly, even with large sample sizes, (Williams,
2021). It was the best approach in this study because it was aligned with the purpose of the
researchers. In addition, the researchers applied the cross-sectional study as research design, since
the researchers believed that it is the most appropriate design to accomplish the objective of the
study.

To ascertain the Zamboanga Peninsula’s awareness on road safety regulations the

researchers used the probability sampling method specifically the random stratified sampling. Also,
to find out the influence of the demographic profile of respondents on the primary factors and
barriers listed by the researchers it is apparent that this is the most suitable method. The
respondents to this research are road users, specifically drivers and motorists, that was located in
Zamboanga Peninsula. One of the advocacies of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) under the
Department of Transportation (DOTr) in the said location is to raise the road safety awareness of its
road users. Thus, the researchers chose the as respondents in order to develop and propose
strategies that can help its community.

The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire in the form of a survey. The
researchers started with the demographic profile of the target respondents grouped in different
factors such as sex, type of vehicle, age, and years of driving. The next part of the questionnaire is
to determine the level of awareness of the respondents on road safety rules and regulations and
then to determine the primary factors influencing the low level of road safety awareness. Lastly, is to
determine the barriers preventing an individual from translating road safety awareness into
responsible behaviors on the road. A Likert scale will be used to evaluate each of the questions.

To uphold the validity and reliability of the research instrument, a stringent series of
measures were meticulously implemented to preserve the integrity and trustworthiness of the
acquired data. The questionnaire underwent a rigorous validation process to verify both its content
and construct validity. An esteemed panel of experts, well-versed in the domains of road safety and
research, rigorously evaluated the questionnaire's relevance and comprehensiveness in the context
of addressing the research objectives. The invaluable feedback and recommendations furnished by
these experts were thoughtfully assimilated into the final questionnaire, profoundly enhancing its
content validity. Moreover, a pilot study, featuring a select subset of respondents, was meticulously
executed to assess the questionnaire's clarity and overall efficacy. This pre-testing phase served the
pivotal purpose of unearthing potential ambiguities, inconsistencies, or sources of confusion within
the survey instrument. Subsequent to their identification, rectifications were expeditiously undertaken
to ensure the questionnaire's absolute comprehensibility. In matters of reliability, the research
scrupulously adhered to a standardized questionnaire administration protocol. The data collection
procedures were executed with a meticulous and unwavering precision, with responses
systematically recorded to mitigate any potential errors. Furthermore, a suite of statistical
techniques, including internal consistency measures, was judiciously applied to rigorously evaluate
the reliability of the questionnaire items. These concerted endeavors were orchestrated to fortify the
instrument's credibility, underpinning the assurance that the collected data precisely and consistently
mirrored the awareness, perceptions, and barriers regarding road safety among the denizens of the
Zamboanga Peninsula.

The data was gathered by the researchers by personally distributing the questionnaires to
the respondents. In this study the respondents were divided into three groups fifty (50) respondents
for two (2) wheeled vehicles, fifty (50) respondents for three (3) wheeled vehicles, and another fifty
(50) respondents for four (4) wheeled vehicles with a total number of one hundred fifty (150)
respondents.
STATISTICAL TREATMENT: The statistical treatment of data in this study was a methodical and
rigorous process designed to extract meaningful insights from the gathered information. Initially, the
raw data collected through the questionnaires underwent meticulous organization, coding, and entry
into a computerized database. To provide a comprehensive overview of the sample, descriptive
statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to
summarize the demographic profile of the respondents. Subsequently, inferential statistics, including
correlation analysis, were applied to investigate the relationships and associations among different
variables. Correlation analysis assessed the strength of the connection between demographic
factors and road safety awareness, while multiple regression delved into the factors and barriers
influencing road safety awareness. These statistical techniques offered a deeper understanding of
how various factors interacted and their impact on road users' awareness of safety regulations. The
primary objective of the statistical treatment of data was to reveal significant patterns and trends,
thereby informing the development of effective road safety strategies and recommendations for the
Zamboanga Peninsula. Ultimately, this contributes to the advancement of road safety awareness
and the promotion of responsible behavior among road users in the region.

RESULT &DISCUSSION: Based on the results of the study, out of the total 150 respondents who
participated in the study, a substantial majority, constituting 86.02%, were males, while females
accounted for a significantly lower proportion, representing 13.98% of the sample. This sex
imbalance suggests that, in general, there are notably more male drivers and motorists in the region
than their female counterparts. In terms of age group of respondents, the "26 - 35" age group
emerges as the largest, constituting 35.33% of the total participants. This suggests that individuals in
their late twenties to mid-thirties comprise the majority of drivers in the region. Following closely
behind is the "36 - 45" age group, representing 27.33% of the respondents. These findings signify
that the core driving population falls within these two age brackets. Notably, the data reveals that the
age groups "18 - 25" and "26 - 35" together account for a significant 52% of the total respondents.
This implies a substantial presence of younger and middle-aged drivers, who are likely characterized
by varying degrees of driving experience and road safety awareness. In terms of vehicle type, the
data demonstrates an intriguing and nearly uniform distribution of vehicle types among the
respondents. Each of the four categories – "2 Wheels," "3 Wheels," "4 Wheels," and "4 Wheels and
above" – accounts for approximately one-third of the total participants. Each of these categories
represents roughly 33.33% of the respondents. This balanced distribution underscores the diversity
of vehicles on the road in Zamboanga Peninsula. It is a notable finding that can significantly impact
road safety strategies in the region. "2 Wheels," "3 Wheels," and "4 Wheels" are the predominant
vehicle categories in this dataset. This suggests that light vehicles, including motorcycles (2 wheels),
tricycles (3 wheels), and traditional cars (4 wheels), are the most common modes of transportation
among respondents. This prevalence is consistent with many other regions globally, where lighter,
more maneuverable vehicles are often favored for personal transportation. A striking finding is the
complete absence of respondents driving vehicles categorized as "4 Wheels and above." This
category typically includes larger vehicles like trucks, buses, and commercial vehicles. On the other
hand, the most common category among respondents with number of years in driving is "10
YEARS," with 44.20% of participants falling into this group. This suggests that a significant
proportion of drivers in Zamboanga Peninsula have a decade or more of experience behind the
wheel. The "5 YEARS" category follows closely behind, representing 26.82% of respondents. This
distribution implies a good mix of experienced and relatively less experienced drivers in the region. It
is noteworthy that the categories "BELOW 5 YEARS" and "5 YEARS" together represent 42.87% of
the total respondents. This indicates a substantial presence of novice drivers with less than 5 years
of experience. Novice drivers often face unique challenges and may benefit from targeted road
safety education and awareness programs aimed at building their skills and responsible road
behavior. On the other end of the spectrum, the data shows that there is limited representation of
seasoned drivers with more than 15 years of experience. The categories "15 YEARS," "20 YEARS,"
and "25 YEARS" together constitute only 21.74% of the respondents. Moreover, the "ABOVE 25
YEARS" category records no participation in the survey. This dearth of seasoned drivers in the
dataset raises questions about their representation and involvement in the driving population of
Zamboanga Peninsula (Lohani et al., 2019).

Relationship between Awareness and Practices of Students Regarding Road Safety Rules

ABSTRACT: Everyday millions of students are interacting with the road and traffic system. The
safety of students travelling home to school and schools to home by walking, by cycling or motor
cycling and by public transport much needed in modern era. That’s why awareness of road safety
rules necessary for students for good practices. This study was conducted to explore the relationship
between awareness and practices of students regarding road safety rules. The objectives of this
study were to explore the accidents rate faced by students during their education, to identify the
sources that promotes awareness about road safety, to explore the awareness and practices of
students about road safety rules and to explore the relationship between awareness and practices of
students on road safety rules. The study was descriptive in nature so questionnaire was used as tool
to collect data. The population of this study was the students of 10th, 11th and 12th class of public
higher secondary schools in Punjab. Total 400 students from nine districts of Punjab were selected
as sample with the help of simple random sampling. Data was collected by visiting sample by the
researchers. The frequency and percentage were used as statistic for analysis and Chi-square test
for inferential analysis. It was found that most of the students from urban areas faced accidents and
they are driving without driving license. The curriculum was the main source for promoting
awareness about road safety rules among students. There were strong relationship between
awareness and practices of students on road safety rules. It was recommended that Motor way and
national highway traffic police should keenly observed the rash driving on roads, then imposed
heavy fines for better practice level.

PROBLEM: Most of the students from urban areas faced accidents and they are driving without
driving license.

OBJECTIVES:

 To explore the accidents rate faced by students during their education

 To identify the sources that promotes awareness about road safety.
 To explore the awareness and practices of students about road safety rules.
 To explore the relationship between awareness and practices of students on road safety
rules.

METHODOLOGY: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between Awareness and
practices of Students about Road Safety rules. The present study is descriptive in nature. The further
research methodology as under:

Population of the Study All the Students of public schools in Pakistan were population of the study.
According to school census (2020), the number of student’s enrolment shown in the following table:

Table 1: Students enrolment in schools

School Level Higher secondary High Total

Students 399211 2242978 6592025

Research Instrument: Research requires primary data for analysis. In this study researcher
developed a questionnaire and it was consisted on three parts for data collection. The parts of the
questionnaire were demographic, awareness of students and practices of students on road safety
rules.

Data Collection: The data was collected from the students of 10th,11th and 12th class from public
schools of province Punjab. The consent was obtained from respondents before data collection.

Data Analysis: Data feeding was carried on during data collection in SPSS software. After
completion the feeding data was analyzed accordingly. Thus, data was analyzed by frequency and
percentage. The chi-square test was used for inferential analysis.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT: This section explores the relationship between students’ awareness
and students practices about road safety. The inferential statistics (chi square test) were used to find
the result about hypothesis (H0: There is no significant association between awareness of students
and practices of students.) from collected data. The questionnaire statements were based on
awareness and practices on road safety rules. A Chi square test was performed to check the
association between two variables. The result was found on the basis that Asymp. Sig. value is less
than 0.05 then it is considered to be significant (95% confident that the relationship between the two
variables). The null hypothesis rejected and it was concluded that there is association between two
variables.

Asymp. Sig.value < 0.05 (Reject H0)

H0: There is no association between awareness and practices of students about road safety rules

H1: There is association between awareness and practices of students about road safety rules

RESULT & DISCUSSION: In demographic characteristics of higher secondary school 126 students
belongs to 10th class, 126 students belongs to 11th class and 148 students from 12th class. Majority
of students were in the age group of 19-20 year, 250 students belong to urban schools and 150 from
rural schools. There were 176 students out of 400 (44%) can drive motorcycle and majority of
students (136) were used motorcycle to reach school. There were only 17 students out of 400 (4%)
have driving license of category LTV, some of them faced accident. The 230 (58%) students out of
400 were faced accident from the different districts of Punjab. The rate of accidents (minor or major)
high in district Rawalpindi 32 (73%) students out of 44 students and 29 (66%) students out of 44
belongs to district Lahore were faced accident. The 148 (64%) students out of 230 belongs to urban
areas were faced accident in different districts of Punjab. While 82 (36%) students out of 230
belongs to rural areas were faced accident in different districts of Punjab. The majority of students
(81%) faced accidents in urban areas of district Gujranwala and rate of accidents (79%) was also
very high in urban areas of district Dera ghazi khan.

When students were asked about the source of promoting awareness about road safety education. It
can be seen that majority of students 70(17.50%) narrated through curriculum, 60(15%) through TV
programs, through newspaper or magazines 55(13.73%), through printed brochures 48(12%)
through students in the school 45(11.25%), were the main source of promoting awareness in society.
The Through road safety walks 42(10.5%), through road signboards 30(7.5%) Through internet/
mobile app 27(6.75%) and through highway traffic police 23(5.75%) were also main sources of
promoting awareness about road safety in all division of province Punjab.

It is evident that majority of students were less aware and less practiced of road safety rules like
zebra crossing, wear helmet, fasten seat belt. The majority of students less Aware but more
practiced the road safety rules like using mobile while driving, fast driving and wrong overtaking
while the majority of students act as awareness more but less practiced the remaining safety rules
like stop on red signals, taking proper U-turn and park vehicle at parking place. The low percentage
of awareness than practiced shows that students’ awareness level is very low and also their practice
level on road safety rules.

The results of chi-square test of different road safety factors of the respondents (students).
According to table that majority of the factors have the sig. value is less than 0.05 (d.f = 2), then we
reject H0 and

accept H1 and concluded that there is association between awareness and practices of students on
road safety rules.

This study was designed to explore the relationship between awareness and practices of students a
higher secondary level about road safety rules. It was concluded that majority of them were from age
group 19-20 year but few of them have driving license of category LTV as Riaz, & Shahid, (2018)
discussed about the importance of driving license in their study “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice
of Drivers towards Traffic Rules and Regulations in Multan, Pakistan”. It is so because authorities
have no attention on the issue mentioned above. Rate of accidents are very high faced by students
in district Rawalpindi as compared to other districts as it is a far flung area and authorities had
neglected that area about the implementation of traffic rules.

Zebra crossing is helpful for pedestrians to cross the busy roads but most of the student’s having
less awareness that’s why they do not practiced zebra crossing while crossing the road. It is so
because of nonserious attitude of the students. Helmet is necessary for motor bike and cycle riders
according to traffic rules of Pakistan, most of the students do not use helmets although they have
awareness about importance of helmet as the findings of the study matches with similar studies
conducted by Swami, Puri, & Bhatia (2006) was important to be safe from serious injuries during
road accidents. The students were well aware about fasten seat belt for driving a vehicle but their
practices about seat belt not seen. The students well aware about use of mobile while driving cause
accidents but they never stop the using of mobile. Reducing speed is necessary in public place
areas but students drive a vehicle fast and becomes the result accidents. Majority of the
respondents told that they always stop the vehicle when red signal is on as most of the time traffic
wardens are there. While parking majority of students well aware about parking place but they less
practiced (they park vehicle where no parking signboard is placed). There is association between
awareness and practices of students on road safety rules. Good thing for students to take proper
awareness about road safety rules which is requirement for good practiced on road safety rules.

RECOMMENDATION:

On the basis of conclusions following recommendations were made:

1. The school education department should include the road safety rules in the curriculum of each
class for increasing the awareness about road safety.

2. Motor way and national highway traffic police should keenly observed the rash driving on roads,
then imposed heavy fines for better practice level.

3. Govt. may take necessary action for the betterment of licensing procedures. The Govt. should
open the departments in the universities for issuing the license on completion of successful driving
education as like issues the other license of doctors and engineers etc. by universities.
 Differences in the Assessment of Safe and Risky Driving Behaviors: Pedestrians Versus
Drivers

ABSTRACT: Interactions between pedestrians and drivers are an important traffic safety issue.
Psycho-social factors such as thoughts, perceptions and attitudes toward other people can be
reliable predictors of riskier or safer behaviors among road users. The aim of this study was to
assess how frequently participants perceive that drivers perform safe and risky road behaviors
through drivers’ self-reported behavior and pedestrians and other drivers’ external perceptions. The
results show that pedestrians assess the road behaviors of drivers in a seriously negative way.
Meanwhile, drivers perceive their own behaviors as more appropriate than those performed by the
rest of drivers. Women attribute more favorable assessments to other users’ road behavior. Similarly,
older drivers do the same, and consider themselves “safer” users. On the contrary, younger drivers
report a higher frequency of self-rated unsafe behaviors. The study highlights the importance of
working on the awareness of self-rated road behaviors. Road safety interventions and programs in
Spain must consider the differences related to gender and age.

PROBLEM: assess how frequently participants perceive that drivers perform safe and risky road
behaviors through drivers’ self-reported behavior and pedestrians and other drivers’ external
perceptions.

OBJECTIVES:

 to assess potential differences in the perception of driving behaviors, depending on the type
of user, specifically among pedestrians and drivers
 to comparatively assess the self-reported perception of driving behaviors in the case of the
drivers
 to determine potential sociodemographic differences in terms of driving behavioral
assessments made by participants

METHODOLOGY: From a study setting established by means of a Simple Random Sampling

proportional to age, gender, region, and habitat of the Spanish population, a total of 1,206 subjects
took part in this study (further information of the sample is available in Table 1). Also, a key filter
question used to select subjects who took part was age (no participants who were under 14 years
old). We differentiated two types of road users: drivers (65.4%, regardless of the type of vehicle) and
pedestrians (34.6%). The sample size represents an error margin for the general data of ±2.9 with a
95.5% confidence interval in the most unfavorable case of p=q=50%.
By means of a cross-sectional design, this study gathered the data using a survey conducted
through computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). A pilot version was applied to 50 cases
(which were later not counted in the overall sample) in order to adjust the length and
comprehensibility. Afterwards, the study questionnaire was reviewed by two experts in the research
topic (Expert 1—on road safety, the core topic covered by the investigation; and Expert 2—in attitude
measurement and social research) who approved the final form of the survey to be delivered to
participants. It was decided to create an original questionnaire so the evaluated behaviors would
adjust to the reality of the Spanish population and to make sure the items were easily adapted to the
analyzed groups (pedestrians and drivers). The same scale was used for both of them.

The average duration of the survey was 27minutes, with some variants due to the different
respondent profiles. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the following variables were
considered: sociodemographic variables (gender and age); type of user (i.e., driver or pedestrian);
and attitudes and behaviors. For this section, a set of seven driving behaviors associated with
attitudes toward/against safety were included within a Likert scale, which assessed the frequency of
performance ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 is “they (the drivers) never perform them,” and 10 means
“they very frequently perform them.” Considering the study aim, drivers assessed both their own and
other drivers’ behavior, while pedestrians only assessed the behavior of drivers.We included the
following behaviors to be considered by both types of road users: driving with little respect toward
pedestrians, driving with little respect toward cyclists, driving in compliance with traffic signs, yielding
at non-regulated crosswalks, and in short and usual routes, using the adequate restraint or
protection systems for children, parking on a crosswalk, driving, or parking on the bike or bus lane.
The Cronbach’s Alpha index (i.e., an internal consistency measure based on the correlations
between different items on the same test) of the questionnaire was α=.791 for pedestrians and
α=.760 for drivers, both above the usual α=.700 cut-off criterion used to determine its acceptability
(Morera & Stokes, 2016; Ruiz-Hernandez et al., 2020).

STATISTICAL TREATMENT: Statistical analyses were carried out using the Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences version 23.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0, Released 2015.
IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Initially, and after a careful data curation, descriptive analyses were
carried out to describe and characterize the responses provided by both groups of respondents.
With the aim of comparing the mean values of pedestrians’ and drivers’ responses, non-parametric
Kolmogorov-Smirnoff tests were used to assess the univariate normality of road behaviors (i.e.,
questionnaire items). Apart from being ordinal, these variables did not meet a normal distribution, so
Student’s t-based Welch’s robust tests were performed. These analyses are useful for comparing
means in cases of having small-to-medium sample sizes, discrete categories for comparison factors,
and when assumptions such as univariate normality could not be met. They also depict the test
results assuming both potential cases of variance equality and inequality (Levene’s test).

Post-hoc analyses were used to determine specific significant differences between pairs of specific
groups composing the study sample (e.g., between young and elderly drivers). All statistical
analyses were conducted with differential α=.05 and .001 significance levels.

RESULT: The group of pedestrians is mainly composed of women (77.2%), compared with 22.8% of
men. Drivers were mainly men (62%) and 38% were women. As for age, the sample of the whole
group of drivers comprised from 14 to 84years old, and its average age was 40.95 (SD=16.11). In
the case of pedestrians, their age is distributed in the following way: the minimum age requirement
was 14, and the maximum was 89 years old, and its average age was 48.40 (SD=21.25). Regarding
their educational level, the group that stands out the most among pedestrians is composed of people
who did not complete high school (40.9%). A similar pattern is noticeable among drivers since most
of them have not completed university studies (29.4%), while some of them (29%) have done so.
DISCUSSION: The findings of this study on pedestrians and drivers’ perceptions of common traffic
behaviors point out that there are significant differences in regard to the way they perceive other
road users’ behavior. Previous studies have also addressed certain discrepancies on the
assessment of the risky road and protective behaviors performed by third parties, showing that—
overall—road users tend to perceive their road behaviors as “safer” than the ones assessed in other
users (Useche et al., 2021). Concretely, the results of this research have depicted how pedestrians
do not hold a considerably positive opinion of drivers’ behavior; as a matter of fact, significant
differences are spotted in those behaviors that can be considered unsafe. However, we must
highlight that their assessment is not extremely negative eitherInterestingly, pedestrians feel that the
frequency of performance of such behaviors is higher than what is believed by drivers. In fact, this
group considers that one of the most frequent behaviors of drivers is the lack of respect toward
pedestrians (M=6.70). This is concerning, and even more so if we observe the self-assessment
scores assigned by drivers, who give themselves a much lower frequency of performance for the
same behavior (M=2.75). From what we notice here, the self-assessment of road users’ attitudes is
quite high and positive when they refer to their own perception of themselves, which is also
supported by other research (Laborda & Bordas, 2015; Lacherez et al., 2014).However, despite the
tendentially negative perceptions of pedestrians when they assess drivers, evidence remarks that
crashes related to pedestrians have substantially diminished

Awareness and Practice of Road Safety Measures of Pedestrians in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT: Although Bangladesh has a higher risk of accidents involving pedestrians, safety
culture is vital in reducing unintentional deaths and injuries, generally in developing countries. The
promotion of a pedestrian safety culture has received little attention. This study looked into
Bangladeshi pedestrians' present attitudes toward and understanding of safety and related activities.
Using an online-based structured questionnaire with 16 items relevant to safety attitude, awareness,
and actions, a cross-sectional survey of 320 randomly chosen Bangladeshi citizens was carried out.
According to the study, pedestrians' safety attitudes, awareness, and behaviour levels are
insufficient. It was revealed that safer pedestrian actions were connected with positive attitudes
toward traffic safety. Males, younger respondents and respondents with less education reported
engaging in riskier behaviours and having more risky views regarding traffic safety. In order to
strengthen and promote a safety culture among Bangladeshi walkers, it is advised that various
safety education courses, training, and awareness programs be implemented. The safety culture of
road safetyof Bangladeshi people needs to be investigated.

PROBLEM: There have been an alarming number of road accidents in our nation, many of which
are due to motorcycle mishaps. Of course, pedestrians are a particularly vulnerable target in these
incidents, and they need more precautions to prevent mishaps.

OBJECTIVES:

 Assess the awareness about road safety measures of pedestrians of Bangladesh.

 Finding out about the practice of road safety measures for pedestrians of Bangladesh

METHODOLOGY:

Source of the Data: An online structured questionnaire with 17 items relating to road safety
attitudes and awareness of pedestrians in Bangladesh was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey
among 320 randomly chosen citizens of Bangladesh from May 23 to June 24, 2022.Therefore, I
have collected primary data through a Questionnaire survey.

Survey Instrument: A questionnaire survey was employed to examine views toward road traffic
safety and pedestrian behaviour and gather demographic data (age, gender, and education level).
Sixteen items were utilised to gauge people's overall views toward road safety. The respondents
were asked to score their agreement with various claims made on the use of unsafe on-road
behaviours. I have used several questions that allude to prevalent practices in Bangladesh, such as
not using footbridges or underpasses for crossing roads, not using footpaths, and not being cautious
enough when crossing roads. Various demographic questions, such as age, gender, occupation, and
level of education, were also asked of the respondents.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT: All the gathered data were double-checked before transferring them to
the master table sheets. The data were collected, coded, tabulated, and then evaluated for this study
following the goal; where appropriate, qualitative data were transformed into quantitative data using
a suitable scoring method. Statistics include distributions of the variables' numbers and percentages.
Additionally, data was presented in a chart to aid with understanding.

RESULT:

Knowledge and Awareness of Different Road Safety Issues

The participants responded in questionnaire form on their actions for different regulatory features
and measures –like traffic signboards, footpaths, zebra crossing, overpass, underpass, and
examining the right and left sides before crossing roads. Most of them cross the road by eye,
examining either side of the road, they follow the instructions on traffic signboards, but a lack of use
of zebra crossing, overpass or underpass is observed. The survey result is tabulated below.
Knowledge of road markings is also important in the road safety analysis.

Opinion on Some Critical Issues Regarding Road Safety in Bangladesh

A few burning issues, like the three-wheeler and motorcycle movement on national highways, were
focused on in the survey. The survey questions were opinion related regarding circumstances. The
results are depicted in figures 7 and 8 below.

A psychological test

The participants were asked what to do when the bus moved relatively slowly. Most of the
participants emphasised the time wasted on the journey; thus, they would try to increase the bus
speed by requesting the driver to drive faster or at least check if the driver is feeling sleepy. They
completely ignore that drivers drive at their respective comfortable speeds on highways. An attempt
to change or alter or disrupt it could cause fatal accidents

Self-assessment

At the very end of the questionnaire forms, participants were asked to score their safety awareness
knowledge. A scale of 1 to 5 was placed, while 1 was for least aware or unaware and 5 for
completely aware. Almost 59% of the participants score 4, meaning they believe their knowledge of
road safety issues and safety awareness is pretty good.

DISCUSSIONS: A Bangladeshi sample was used in this study to examine the factor structures
behind measures of attitudes regarding pedestrian safety and behaviour, as well as the associations
between those attitudes, self-reported behaviours, and demographic characteristics.In line with our
findings, a few earlier studies have determined that ignorance of and disregard for traffic rules and
signals is Bangladesh's primary cause of road traffic accidents (RTA). Violation of traffic rules
frequently results from a lack of understanding of these rules, which has a significant negative
impact on RTA.It was discovered that demographic traits were associated with views regarding
pedestrian conduct and traffic safety. Older adults claimed to have safer attitudes and safer
behaviours. It was discovered that men reported engaging in riskier actions and having more risky
attitudes than women. There is a clear relationship between educational status and attitudes and
behaviours; those with greater levels of education had more protective attitudes and behaviours.
Relationships between demographic factors (such as age, gender, and educational attainment),
attitudes toward traffic safety, and pedestrian behaviour are consistent with the findings of previous
studies using pedestrian behaviour questionnaires.

With the data obtained from the study, it is fair to say that people are well concerned with the
features that ensure road safety; at least, they know what to do to stay safe. People know they must
use foot over-bridges, zebra crossings or underpasses to cross the roads. They have to examine
their right and left to cross the road by Foot in the absence of any foot over-bridges or underpass.
They know they must use a footpath to walk along the road and follow the instructions on traffic
signboards. However, a sheer lack of willingness to use foot over-bridges is found in the study, as
depicted in figure 9 above. At least 62% of the participants feel that foot over-bridges are not worth
using due to laziness or wasting time. And again, 20.6% of the participants feel that the over-bridges
are not of either good quality or safe to use. Foot over-bridges usually deteriorate upon long-time
use. It can pose a significant health risk if not maintained regularly. Moreover, homeless people
usually sleep on the deck of foot over-bridges during the night. While staying there, they usually
remain addicted and commit petty crimes in the dark. Lone female pedestrians often get attacked by
them. Consequently, female pedestrians usually try to avoid less used over-bridges during the night.
Foot over-bridges with comfortable boarding and departure mechanisms may mitigate the laziness
and time-consuming issues of foot over-bridges. The over-bridges can become very comfortable if
the traditional stationary stairs are replaced with escalators. Then again, escalators must be
regularly maintained and, as sophisticated electrical equipment, must be kept safe from the weather.
Hence, foot over-bridges with escalators are not a solution for low pedestrian flow regions. The
investment would be high, but the service would not be that fulfilling. Moreover, there will be chances
of theft of escalator types of equipment in low pedestrian flow bridges. In such scenarios, zebra
crossings with in-situ traffic officials can be a good alternative.Most participants have expressed that
they crossed the road after examining it at right and left (Table 1). This is a question that participants
cannot always answer correctly, so the survey result for this particular question cannot be taken for
granted. This is the case where people know the custom and know how to apply the custom, but
their activity in their subconscious mind often leads to accidents. For example, concentration
deteriorates when people talk for a long time over cellular devices while walking on a street with
heavy traffic. People barely examine the road if it is required to cross the road with a cellular device
hoisted on-ear. So, serious accidents may occur while a group of people try to cross the road while
discussing anything serious.Footpaths are barely seen outside metropolitan cities. Usually, suburban
roads are so narrow that local authorities cannot accommodate footpaths on either side of the road.
In metropolitan cities, footpaths are often consumed by street hawkers. This comfortable walking
manoeuvre cannot be achieved. The pavement of the footpath is often so irregular that people find it
very difficult for morning or evening walks. Low-earning people are seen going to the office on Foot;
while walking, they have to use the road because of poor footpath pavement. The movement of
motorcycles and motorised or non-motorised three-wheelers is another well-established reason for
traffic accidents on national highways. Almost 42% of the participants expressed that three-wheelers
must be prohibited from national highways (Figure 7). But the others, with conditions, voted for
three-wheelers on highways. Three-wheelers are common short-route local transports for the towns
where national highways pass through it. Thus, prohibiting three-wheelers there would significantly
hamper the daily life of the townspeople. Accordingly, prohibiting three-wheelers from national
highways couldn't be implemented entirely, despite being one of the top reasons for highway
accidents. Separate slow-moving vehicular transport (SMVT) lanes with permanent lane dividers can
be constructed on national highways to mitigate accidents. Separate lanes with dividers will ensure
no slow-moving- high-moving vehicle collision.