Author(s)

Chavin D. Gopaul^1*, Aruna Singh-Gopaul², Joan M. Sutherland³, Dave D. Chadee³

¹Department of Para-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
²North West Regional Health Authority, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
³Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

Few studies have been conducted on the incidence and factors which contribute to road traffic collisions in Trinidad. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) study among drivers to determine which factors contributed to these accidents. A questionnaire was developed and administered using a cross-sectional approach among 3000 persons living in 5 different areas of Trinidad. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 22, t-test and multivariate analysis. Of the 2998 respondents, at least 572 (19.1%) had been involved in one or more road collisions. While only 46.7% of respondents always wore seat belts, approximately 93% believed strongly that their use was essential for safety—a 3-fold increase in that found in a previous study. The multiple regression analysis indicated that attitude and age were significantly associated with accidents and increased risk for accidents. The results showed that alcohol consumption, use of mobile phones while driving, speed, and age were significantly (p > 0.001) associated with accidents. In conclusion, most respondents were aware of traffic laws and regulations, but their knowledge and practice often diverged. However the improvement in attitude to seat-belt wearing suggests that a holistic driver education program may improve driver practice and adherence to the road traffic regulations in Trinidad.

KAP, Trinidad, Road Collisions, Post Traumatic Stress

Gopaul, C. , Singh-Gopaul, A. , Sutherland, J. and Chadee, D. (2016) Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Drivers in Trinidad, West Indies. Journal of Transportation Technologies, 6, 405-419. doi: 10.4236/jtts.2016.65033.