Road Safety Practices of Commercial Motorcyclists in Accra

Abstract

Road traffic injuries among motorcyclists have persisted as a serious public health problem and much of the health burden is in developing countries. Over-speeding, poor enforcement of traffic regulations, non- use of helmets and protective attires as well as overloading of passengers have been highly implicated in road traffic injuries in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitude and practice concerning road safety measures in preventing road traffic injuries. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Accra, Ghana. Purposive and snowballing sampling methods were used to select the three motor stations used for the study and all the consenting motorcyclists operating within the stations were contacted but only 273 were included in the study. Data was collected with a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS statistical software. The findings showed that, majority of them (93.4%) had a good knowledge of the road safety measures with their main source being the media (TV and radio) (78.4%). It also showed that, in terms of attitude, most of them exhibited a very good attitude towards adherence to the road safety measures but however, failed to practice these regulations. The riders exhibited high knowledge and attitude towards road safety measures but however, most of them did not practice these measures. There is the need for strict law enforcement of road safety especially in the face of observing road traffic regulations, wearing helmets and protective attires as well as having some for their passengers. There is also the need for education to improve knowledge.