Traffic safety culture of professional drivers in the State of Qatar

Timmermans, Chantal; Alhajyaseen, Wael; Reinolsmann, Nora; Nakamura, Hideki; Suzuki, Kazufumi · 2019 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.iatssr.2019.03.004

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Summary

This study investigates the traffic safety culture of professional drivers in the State of Qatar, addressing a critical gap in understanding how this specific demographic perceives traffic safety and risky behaviors. With Qatar’s infrastructure expanding and the need for professional drivers growing, particularly ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, understanding their safety perceptions is vital for national traffic safety strategies. The research aims to identify personal attributes that influence the likelihood of committing risky driving behaviors and resistance to traffic laws, thereby identifying high-risk groups within the professional driving population. The methodology involved a survey of 343 male professional drivers (taxi and public bus drivers) recruited from Karwa Professional Driving School, the sole governmental provider for such training in Qatar. Female drivers were excluded due to their small sample size. The study utilized a five-section questionnaire measuring demographics, perceived changes in traffic issues over three years, social norms regarding risky driving, personal acceptance of risky driving, and attitudes toward new traffic laws. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests to compare social versus personal acceptance, and chi-square tests with Bonferroni corrections to examine relationships between personal attributes (nationality, driver type, years of experience) and safety attitudes. The results indicate that transportation mode, origin, and years of driving experience significantly impact a driver’s risk profile and opposition to traffic laws. Notably, there was no significant discrepancy between social acceptance and personal acceptance of risky behaviors, validating personal acceptance as a reliable indicator of actual risk. While most drivers reported a low likelihood of committing severe violations, distressing findings emerged regarding specific hazards: a high likelihood of speeding in school zones and a high risk of distraction from any type of phone use, including hands-free devices. Additionally, drivers perceived traffic congestion and aggressive driving as bigger problems compared to three years prior, despite national safety improvements. The significance of these findings lies in their application to professional driver training and policy implementation. The study concludes that current training programs at professional driving schools in Qatar must emphasize the dangers of speeding in school zones and phone distraction. Furthermore, by identifying that personal attributes like origin and experience correlate with risk levels, the research provides a basis for targeted interventions. Understanding the traffic safety culture of this heterogeneous population is essential for continuing Qatar’s progress in reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries, ensuring that professional drivers—who are frequent road users—adhere to safety norms and support effective traffic laws.

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Topics

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• cultural cross national
• traffic safety culture

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model, computational model