Hazard perception at high- and low-risk road sites: a pilot study of interurban roads in Pakistan and Cameroon.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Interurban roads account for a significant proportion of traffic deaths in developing countries. In this pilot study, hazard perceptions of interurban road sites involved in ≥3 injury road traffic crashes were compared with those not involved in road traffic crashes on the same road sections. SETTINGS Karachi-Hala (Pakistan) and Yaoundé-Douala (Cameroon) road sections were the main study settings. DATA Videos of 26 high-risk sites and 26 low-risk sites from Karachi-Hala (Pakistan) and Yaoundé-Douala (Cameroon) roads, matched for the road section, were shown to 100 voluntary Pakistani drivers. Variations in perceived site hazardousness and preferred speed for each site pair were assessed. Analyses Factors associated with incorrect hazard perception of high-risk sites (perceived as safe) were assessed by multinomial logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Drivers reported a higher hazard perception and a lower preferred speed for high-risk sites than for their matched low-risk sites in less than half of pairs (n=12, p≤0.02). Factors associated with increased likelihood of identifying a high-risk site as safe were as follows flat road profile (adjusted OR=2.00, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.57), intersections (OR=1.96, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.68), irregular road surface (OR=3.56, 95% CI 2.68 to 4.71), nearby road obstacles (OR=2.57, 95% CI 1.96 to 3.39) and visible rain (OR=1.85, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.32). CONCLUSION: The methods used in this study might be useful in prioritising cost-effective improvements at high-risk sites.