Knowledge and Self-reported Practices of Adolescents towards Road Safety Measures

Abstract

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–19 years
and second leading cause among 5–14 years old. The decade of 2011-2020 has been declared
as the "Decade of Action for Road Safety” by UN General Assembly, which seeks to halt the
increasing trends in road traffic deaths and injuries worldwide. The starting point for any
interventions aimed at achieving the UN declaration especially with regard to young people

would be to first know their understanding and practices with respect to road safety. A cross-
sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 100 adolescent students in

Amritsar. Majority of students were boys and had an average level of knowledge. Two-
wheeler was the most commonly used vehicle, 21% of the adolescents were not using helmets

while riding two-wheeler. 18% of the adolescents had been involved in road-related accidents
in the past 1 year. more than half were driving their vehicles at a speed of more than 80km/hr
and 13% were using mobile phones while driving. Study revealed average knowledge of road
safety measures and unsafe practices while driving.