Prevalence of traffic rule infractions in Cali, Colombia, at sites where injury crashes occurred

Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2017 Jun;24(2):158-164. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2015.1080730. Epub 2015 Sep 1.

Abstract

This study aim to determine the proportion of traffic rule infractions in Cali, Colombia, in places where a road traffic injury (RTI) occurred. Description of videotaping of sites where a person was injured in an RTI in 2009. Counts of road users and infractions were established for each road user group and were compared using a Z-test. They were found 13,491 users, distributed as follow: 8.9% were pedestrians, 4.6% cyclists, 24.6% motorcyclists, and 61.8% were automobile drivers. The most frequent traffic violation among motorcyclists was transiting on lines designated for other vehicles (55.2%). Among cyclists, the most frequent violations were transiting without a helmet (99.2%) and not wearing the designated vest (100%). Among pedestrians, crossing streets at prohibited places (77.3%), even at sites where a pedestrian bridge was present (72.7%), represented two common violations. Vulnerable road users committed more traffic infractions than automobile drivers (p < 0.001). High rates of traffic rule infractions among vulnerable road users were observed. Studies to better understand the occurrence of these behaviours and the promotion of effective interventions are warranted.

Keywords: government regulation; infrastructure; road safety; traffic accident; traffic collision.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic*
  • Automobile Driving*
  • Colombia / epidemiology
  • Government Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Motorcycles
  • Prevalence
  • Safety
  • Videotape Recording
  • Wounds and Injuries