Youths’ Perceptions of Road Safety Risk Behaviours in the Roadway Environment: A Study of College Students in The Gambia and Tanzania

Abstract

Road traffic injury is the seventh leading cause of death in low-income countries, the tenth leading cause of death in resource-limited countries for all ages, and the leading cause of death for adolescents and youths worldwide. In this study, we seek to provide information on youths’ perceptions of risky road traffic safety behaviours. A self-administered survey on youths’ risk perceptions of road traffic crashes in The Gambia and Tanzania was distributed to students at universities in The Gambia and at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania. Risky behaviours and distractions were identified as the primary risk of crashes involving youths. Texting while driving (The Gambia 56.6%, Tanzania 83.7%, AOR = 1.72, 95% CI = 0.5, 5.88) or riding in cars whose drivers had been drinking alcohol (The Gambia 20.2%, Tanzania 59.7%, AOR = 3.12, 95% CI = 1.17, 8.36) were major concerns. These results indicate that the implementation of interventions to reduce driver distractions and impairment are needed in both countries. Prevention efforts should focus on not only roadway designs and vehicle factors, but also on the traffic safety culture and education of road users, especially the youth and young adults. These results fill a knowledge gap that will be beneficial to developing effective interventions to promote a traffic safety culture among youths.