UNDERSTANDING THE BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG DRIVERS IN RELATION TO TRAFFIC SAFETY ASPECTS IN LAHORE

Abstract

The impact of economic development in Lahore has resulted in increased motorized traffic, which in-turn has increased the chances of the roadside accidents. A questionnaire was designed consisting of personal attributes of the drivers, attitudinal and behavioral aspects of driving. Considering the feasibility and constraints, a total of 200 samples were obtained. The collected data showed that most of the young drivers had habit of looking outside right and left while driving. Most significant distraction factors include listening music, using mobile phone and watching at the rear view mirror, eating and smoking. The inside activities and outside attraction were the major factors of accidents. Using factor analysis technique, two factors including internal distraction elements and external distraction elements were explored. The results revealed that two extracted factors were significant determinants of drivers experiencing crash during driving. These findings implicate that the traffic safety policies should address distracted driving behavior of drivers in order to reduce traffic accidents and related social evils during driving.