Abdullah Al Maniri

Risky driving behavior among university students and staff in the Sultanate of Oman

BACKGROUND There is a well developed literature on research investigating the relationship between various driving behaviors and road crash involvement. However, this research has predominantly been conducted in developed economies dominated by western types of cultural environments. To date no research has been published that has empirically investigated this relationship within the context of the emerging economies such as Oman. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to investigate driving behavior as indexed in the driving behavior questionnaire (DBQ) among a group of Omani university students and staff. METHODS A convenience non-probability self-selection sampling approach was utilized with Omani university students and staff. RESULTS A total of 1003 Omani students (n=632) and staff (n=371) participated in the survey. Factor analysis of the BDQ revealed four main factors that were errors, speeding violation, lapses and aggressive violation. In the multivariate logistic backward regression analysis, the following factors were identified as significant predictors of being involved in causing at least one crash: driving experience, history of offenses and two DBQ components, i.e., errors and aggressive violation. CONCLUSION This study indicates that errors and aggressive violation of the traffic regulations as well as history of having traffic offenses are major risk factors for road traffic crashes among the sample. While previous international research has demonstrated that speeding is a primary cause of crashing, in the current context, the results indicate that an array of factors is associated with crashes. Further research using more rigorous methodology is warranted to inform the development of road safety countermeasures in Oman that improves overall Traffic Safety Culture.

Prevalence and characteristics of road traffic injuries among young drivers in Oman, 2009–2011

ABSTRACT Objectives: Studies from different parts of the world have indicated that the impact of road traffic incidents disproportionally affects young adults. Few known studies have been forthcoming from Arabian Gulf countries. Within Oman, a high proportion of the population is under the age of 20. Coupled with the drastic increase in motorization in recent years, there is a need to understand the state of road safety among young people in Oman. The current research aimed to explore the prevalence and characteristics of road traffic injuries among young drivers aged 17–25 years. Methods: Crash data from 2009 to 2011 were extracted from the Directorate General of Traffic, Royal Oman Police (ROP) database in Oman. The data were analyzed to explore the impact of road crashes on young people (17–25 years), the characteristics of young driver crashes, and how these differ from older drivers and to identify key predictors of fatalities in young driver crashes. Results: Overall, young people were overrepresented in injuries and fatalities within the sample time period. Though it is true that many young people in crashes were driving at the time, it was also evident that young people were often victims in a crash caused by someone else. Thus, to reduce the impact of road crashes on young people, there is a need to generally address road safety within Oman. When young drivers were involved in crashes they were predominantly male. The types of crashes these drivers have can be broadly attributed to risk taking and inexperience. Speeding and nighttime driving were the key risk factors for fatalities. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to address young driver safety in Oman. From these findings, the introduction of a graduated driver licensing system with nighttime driving restrictions could significantly improve young driver safety.

Personality of young drivers in Oman: Relationship to risky driving behaviors and crash involvement among Sultan Qaboos University students

Objective - Drivers’ behaviors such as violations and errors have been demonstrated to predict crash involvement among young Omani drivers. However, there is a dearth of studies linking risky driving behaviors to the personality of young drivers. The aim of the present study was to assess such traits within a sample of young Omani drivers (as measured through the behavioral inhibition system, BIS, and the behavioral activation system, BAS) and determine links with aberrant driving behaviors and self-reported crash involvement. Methods - A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) that targeted all licensed Omanis undergraduate students. A total of 529 randomly selected students completed the self-reported questionnaire that included an assessment of driving behaviours (e.g., Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: DBQ) as well as the BIS/BAS measures. Results - A total of 237 participants (44.8%) reported involvement in at least one crash since being licensed. Young drivers with lower BIS-anxiety scores, higher BAS-Fun seeking tendencies as well as male drivers were more likely to report driving violations. Statistically significant gender differences were observed on all BIS and BAS subscales (except for BAS-Fun) and the DBQ subscales, as males reported higher trait scores. While personality traits were related to aberrant driving behaviors at the bivariate level, the constructs were not predictive of engaging in violations or errors. Furthermore, consistent with previous research, a supplementary multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only driving experience was predictive of crash involvement. Conclusions - The findings highlight that while personality traits influence self-reported driving styles (and differ between the genders), the relationship with crash involvement is not as clear. This paper further outlines the key findings of the study in regards to understanding core psychological constructs that increase crash risk.

338 Development and pilot test of an mhealth Trauma Registry in Oman

Background Trauma registries (TRs) play a vital role in the assessment of trauma care, but are often underutilised in countries with a high burden of injuries. We postulated that emerging technologies in trauma and injury surveillance could enable the design of a tablet-based application for health care professionals. This would be used to inform trauma care and acquire surveillance data for injury control and prevention in the Sultanate of Oman. Methods The study comprised of three steps. a) Consensus on variables to record the quality of trauma care and injury surveillance. b) Design of an electronic tablet-based application and pre-testing at the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit c) Pilot study of electronic registry at two large hospitals in the Sultanate of Oman. Results The application was designed to provide comprehensive information on each trauma case from the location of injury until discharge, so the variables were organised to cover eleven domains of information, with standardised format of data collection. Internet connexion was required only at the time of data transfer to the electronic database. Pilot study included training and induction of nurse data collectors, data collection over six months, data quality control, and data analysis. A nurse-based pilot study demonstrated that the application was user friendly, reliable, and feasible in the current setting. With approximately 2600 completed cases, the data was found to be accurate and reliable in >93% of cases. Conclusion Initial results show the promising potential of a user-friendly, comprehensive electronic TR to develop a multicenter trauma database. The pilot test in two hospitals indicates that the registry can be used in multiple hospitals. Stakeholders engagement, training of the staff and supervised induction is the key to success and help improve injury surveillance as well as quality of trauma care.

448 Using health belief model to explain speeding behaviour among Omani male drivers

Background Speeding behaviour has been recognised as one of the most important risk factor of fatal Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) and has been consistently reported as the main cause of RTCs in Oman. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with speeding behaviour using Health Belief Model (HBM) Methods A total of 1286 Omani male drivers visiting Directorate of Vehicle Registration at Royal Oman Police (ROP) were randomly selected and surveyed using a validated questionnaire. The questionnaire items included questions on socio-demographic characteristics, driving behaviour, driving history and the subscales of the HBM. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between speeding behaviour and the constructs of the HBM. Results Around 60% of the drivers reported not respecting the speeding limit on the highways of which 70% of them were always crossing the speeding limit. Around 50% of the drivers reported an involvement in a road traffic crashes in the last three years of which 10% relate the cause of the crash to speeding. A significant association between speeding behaviour and the psychosocial characteristic of the participants (Age, driving license age, having children, monthly income, motoring and speeding offences was observed. In Multivariate logistic regrsession anlayis, speeding behaviour was significantly predicted by perceived benefits of respecting the speed limits and barriers of respecting the speed limits. Conclusions HBM serves as a good explanatory model for speeding behaviour among Omani male drivers in Oman. The perceived benefits of speeding may be used in awareness campaigns that target change of speeding behaviour.

141 Understanding speeding behaviour among Omani drivers using theory of planned behaviour

Background Oman has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world. Speeding behaviour has been recognised as one of the most important risk factor in fatal road traffic crashes (RTCs) in the Sultanate of Oman in the year 2011. The aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with self-reported speeding behaviour based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Methods The study was cross sectional. A total of 1800 Omani male drivers in the age range of 17–45 years were recruited during March 2013 from directorate of vehicle registration using systematic random sampling technique based on their seat number. A questionnaire was developed and used to collect data concerning socio-demographic characteristics, driving behaviour, driving history and the subscales of TPB. The questionnaire was assessed for validity and reliability. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between the constructs of TPB and speeding behaviour. Results The response rate was 71.4%. The mean age was 29 ± 6.6 (mean ± standard deviation) years. Only 14% (n = 174) of the drivers reported that they never or very rarely exceeded the speed limit when given the chance. The drivers with younger age, having children, high monthly income, having motoring and speeding offences were more likely to speed compared to other drivers. The odds of speeding among those who said their speed was “much faster” compared to other drivers was 4.7 (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.6, 13.8). Around 46% of the sample had got speeding offences. Speeding behaviour is significantly predicted by attitude and subjective norms. Speeding behaviour is significantly predicted by intention to respect the speed limits (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.76) and by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Conclusions Speeding behaviour is common among male Omani drivers and the TPB can be used to understand the factors associated with it.