Lalitha D1, S. Appala Naidu2, B. Devi Madhavi3
Road Traffic Injuries are among the 3 leading causes of death for people between 5 – 45 years of age. Unless immediate and effective measures are taken, Road Traffic Injuries are predicted to become the 5th leading cause of death in the world, resulting in an estimated 2.4 million deaths each year which can be avoidable by taking simple road safety measures. OBJECTIVES: To assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of road safety measures among college students in Visakhapatnam city. METHODOLOGY: A Cross sectional study was conducted among 150 college students in Visakhapatnam city during the month of January, 2015. Three professional colleges were selected randomly and 50 students from each college were chosen by convenient sampling technique. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was administered after taking consent from the students. Proportions were calculated and Chi-square test was applied to test the statistical association. RESULTS: Among 150 students 62% were females and 38% were males. There was difference in knowledge levels between males and females, about 67% of females had knowledge that speed limit should be followed while driving when compared to 30% of males. This difference was statistically significant (Chi square value=5.82, p=0.01). More than 90% of the students strongly agreed/ agreed that mobile phones should not be used while driving. Though 76.67% of students drive a vehicle only 52.17% among them wear helmet while driving. CONCLUSION: Continuous efforts are required to increase awareness on road safety measures through IEC activities to reduce the morbidity & mortality regarding Road Traffic Accidents.
