302712
Analytical Predictive Factors for Traffic Safety Consciousness of College Students in Thailand
Background: The World Bank Group estimated in 2011 the economic loss in Thailand due to traffic accidents was as much as 232.8 billion baht or 7.2 billion US dollars. The Land Traffic Statistic, Royal Thai Police (Distsuwan, et al., 2011) reported 11,489 lives lost and 70,818 injuries in 2008 that involved traffic accidents. In the Thai population, individuals 20 to 24 years old had recorded the highest rate of fatality. Numerous studies claimed that psychological or behavioral factors were the causes of accidents. This study focused on states of mind or traffic safety consciousness.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate factors associated with college students’ traffic safety consciousness.
Methods: Data were collected from three universities in Thailand, from driver and non-driver student samples. The Safety Consciousness Survey (SCS) was developed to collect data and yielded a Cronbach alpha reliability value of 0.86. Reliability of the three scales knowledge, perception, and behavior were 0.70, 0.81, and 0.76, respectively. All data were analyzed using SPSS package version 21.0.
Results: A total of 859 participants responded to the survey. Regression analysis revealed traffic safety consciousness was significantly associated with driver-permit properties. The subscales were also significantly associated with class standings, study areas, driving speeds, etc.
Conclusions: Due to the highest rate of traffic death and injury, especially in Thailand, findings could lead to construction of a “well-defined” theoretical framework that will become a guide for developing educational models or programs that will effectively promote traffic safety consciousness among college students.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsAssessment of individual and community needs for health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health administration or related administration
Learning Objectives:
List ten behaviors that lead to traffic accidents.
Identify road or environmental conditions that lead to traffic accidents.
Discuss how to cultivate positive attitudes toward traffic safety.
Develop guidelines for educational programs to effectively promote traffic safety consciousness.
Keyword(s): Health Promotion and Education, Violence & Injury Prevention
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have authored and presented numerous studies in health promotion and education. For more than 20 years, I have been teaching at Indiana University’s School of Public Health. Conferences in selected Asian countries have invited me to be their keynote speaker. I have taught health promotion program planning at several universities. Traffic safety is one of the topics I have taught at Indiana University.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.