Use of seat belts among public transport drivers in Tacna, Peru: Prevalence and risk factors

Abstract

Introduction There are individuals who still refuse to wear seat belts, despite its effectiveness in reducing morbidity and mortality in road traffic accidents. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors according to the use of seat belts among public transport drivers in Tacna, Peru. Methodology This analytical transversal study was carried out among public transport drivers (buses and taxis) in a Peruvian city. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the general and occupational characteristics and the use of seat belts (observed). Descriptive statistics and risk factors were obtained, these latter through generalized linear models. Results Of the 460 drivers, 77% used their seat belts, with a difference in use depending on the type of public transport (p<0.001). In the multivariate model, the risk of not using the belt was associated with the following: older age (p<0.001), having complete studies (p<0.001), a higher level/category of driving license (3 categories had p<0.001), having a higher number of previous road traffic accidents (p = 0.011), and received medical attention in that accident (p<0.001), those who reported using a cell phone while driving (p = 0.005), if the co-driver’s belt had 3 anchorage points (p<0.001), and working for > 5 hours that day (p = 0.002). However, male drivers and those who had their belt with 3 anchorage points had greater use (both p<0.001). Conclusions One in five drivers did not use a seat belt, and important characteristics of those who did not comply with this traffic law were evaluated to generate control and intervention measures.

Innovative Approaches for Automated Seat Belt Compliance Detection

“…However, it is unclear how widely used seat belts are in Ethiopia or the contributing variables [2]. Very frequently, drivers reach the judgment that its use may not be sufficiently safe (when they link to very tenuous hypotheses that its use may be responsible for deadly accidents) and that it is lost until it is set, as in [21] the instance when 18% of them declared such reasons. Similar reasoning has been utilized by researchers [22], whose research on public transportation is based on surveys in which 77% of respondents said they use it regularly.…”