Road traffic regulation and enforcement status: A Nepalese traffic police perspective

In the context of developing countries like Nepal, enhancing road traffic safety (RTS) requires prioritizing aspects such as road safety management, infrastructure improvement, vehicle safety, and promoting safer road user behavior. Importantly, establishing a conducive legal framework and ensuring effective enforcement are crucial for improving RTS. This study aims to analyze the enforcement status of road traffic regulatory factors and provide suggestions for improvement. A set of structured questionnaires comprising thirty items measuring six dimensions of road traffic regulation was developed to gather data from 396 Nepal traffic police officers. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to construct the measurement model. The statistical analysis revealed that road traffic regulatory factors such as seatbelt, helmet, and license laws, along with insufficient penalties for violations related to drunk and distracted driving, speeding, and mobile phone use contribute to road traffic accidents. The findings highlight the pressing need for effective implementation of traffic regulations. To improve road safety in Nepal stricter penalties for drunk driving, speeding, and mobile phone use, advancing vehicle safety technology, formulating transportation safety policies, accrediting pre-hospital care providers, and safety auditing in road planning, construction, and operation are vital. The model developed herein provides valuable insights to policymakers to reinforce prevailing regulations for reducing traffic-related fatalities not only for Nepal but also for other countries encountering similar road safety challenges.