Citation

Fildes B, Stevenson M, Hoque MS, Hammid A. Traffic Injury Prev. 2016; 17(5): 488-494.

Affiliation

Chair of Traffic Safety, University of Dammam , KSA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15389588.2015.1103849

PMID

26507461

Abstract

This study set out to examine seatbelt wearing and child restraint use in the Dammam Municipality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on the premise that an increase in seatbelt wearing would significantly reduce personal injury in traffic crashes. It was expected that local data would help identify intervention strategies necessary to improve seatbelt wearing in the region. The research involved two methodologies. First, 1,389 face-to-face interviews were conducted of male and female adults in regional shopping plazas of their own and their children's restraint use in their vehicles and reasons for these attitudes and beliefs. Second, two on-road observation studies of adult and child restraint use, one overt and one covert, were conducted by trained observers. Occupants of approximately 5,000 passenger vehicles were observed while stopped at representative signalized traffic intersections.

RESULTS showed front seat belt wearing rates of between 43% and 47% for drivers' and 26% to 30% for front seat passengers, while rear seat belt wearing rates were worse. Reasons for these rates are discussed and recommendations for improving seat belt wearing in the Dammam Municipality are included.

Language: en