Seat Belt and Mobile Phone Use Among Vehicle Drivers in the City of Doha, Qatar: an Observational Study

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2015 Sep 23

PMID 26392362

Citations 9

Authors

Ziyad R Mahfoud

Sohaila Cheema

Hekmat Alrouh

Mohammed Hamad Al-Thani

Al Anoud Mohammed Al-Thani

Ravinder Mamtani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In Qatar traffic injuries and fatalities are of serious concern. Mobile phone use whilst driving has been associated with increased risk of vehicular collisions and injuries. Seat belt use has been demonstrated to save lives and reduce the severity of road traffic injuries. Whereas previously published studies may have looked at all front passengers, this study aims to obtain reliable estimates of the prevalence of seat belt and mobile phone use among vehicle drivers in the city of Doha, Qatar. Additionally, we aim to investigate the association of these behaviors with other variables namely gender, time of the day and type of vehicle.

Methods: An observational study on 2,011 vehicles was conducted in 2013. Data were collected at ten sites within Doha city over a two-week period. Two trained observers surveyed each car and recorded observations on a data collection form adapted from a form used in a 2012 Oklahoma observational study. Associations were assessed using the Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. A p-value of .05 or less was considered statistically significant.

Results: Overall, 1,463 (72.7 %) drivers were found using a seat belt (95 % CI: 70.8-74.7 %) and 150 (7.5 %) their mobile phones (95 % CI: 6.3-8.6 %) during the observation period. Mobile phone use was significantly associated with not using a seat belt and driving a sport utility vehicle. Significantly lower rates of seat belt use were observed in the early morning and late afternoon. No gender differences were observed.

Discussion: Seatbelt use in Doha was found to be similar to countries in the region but lower than those in western countries. Also, studies from other high-income locations, reported lower rates of mobile phone use while driving than in Doha.

Conclusions: Despite road traffic crashes being one of the leading causes of death in Qatar, three out of 10 drivers in Doha, Qatar, do not use a seat belt and about one in 12 use a mobile phone while driving. More efforts, in the form of awareness campaigns and increased law enforcement, are needed to improve compliance with laws requiring seat belt use and prohibiting mobile phone use while driving.

Citing Articles

The prevalence of seat belt use among drivers and passengers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kargar S, Ansari-Moghaddam A, Ansari H J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2023; 98(1):14.

PMID: 37528241 PMC: 10393920. DOI: 10.1186/s42506-023-00139-3.

Factors affecting road safety compliance in a low- and middle-income country: An observational study from Lebanon.

Al-Hajj S, El Hechi M, Chahrour M, Farran S, Kaafarani H PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023; 2(3):e0000154.

PMID: 36962149 PMC: 10021161. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000154.

Use of seat belts among public transport drivers in Tacna, Peru: Prevalence and risk factors.

Minan-Tapia A, Torres-Riveros G, Choque-Vargas J, Aycachi-Incacona M, Flores-Valdez N, Vargas-Anahua O PLoS One. 2021; 16(5):e0251794.

PMID: 34003872 PMC: 8130960. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251794.

Psychosocial factors associated with the self-reported frequency of cell phone use while driving in Iran.

Kalantari A, Monavar Yazdi S, Hill T, Mohammadzadeh Moghaddam A, Ayati E, Sullman M PLoS One. 2021; 16(4):e0249827.

PMID: 33882099 PMC: 8059850. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249827.

Prevalence of and factors associated with self-reported noncompliance with mandatory seatbelt-use law while driving among adults in Kuwait.

Ridha H, Bouzaber F, Al-Sallal M, Almutairi A, Al-Dhubaiei R, Akhtar S Inj Epidemiol. 2020; 7(1):58.

PMID: 33161895 PMC: 7650188. DOI: 10.1186/s40621-020-00284-9.

References

Vecino-Ortiz A, Bishai D, Chandran A, Bhalla K, Bachani A, Gupta S . Seatbelt wearing rates in middle income countries: a cross-country analysis. Accid Anal Prev. 2014; 71:115-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2014.04.020. View

Bener A . The neglected epidemic: road traffic accidents in a developing country, State of Qatar. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2005; 12(1):45-7. DOI: 10.1080/1745730051233142225. View

Martinez-Sanchez J, Curto A, Fu M, Martinez C, Sureda X, Ballbe M . Safety belt and mobile phone usage in vehicles in Barcelona (Spain). Gac Sanit. 2014; 28(4):305-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2014.01.002. View

Russo B, Kay J, Savolainen P, Gates T . Assessing characteristics related to the use of seatbelts and cell phones by drivers: application of a bivariate probit model. J Safety Res. 2014; 49:137-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2014.03.001. View

Wundersitz L . Phone use while driving: results from an observational survey. Traffic Inj Prev. 2014; 15(6):537-41. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2013.843075. View

Gilroy I, Donnelly N, Matthews W, Doherty K, Conlon G, Clarke A . Smoking in vehicles is lower than mobile telephone use while driving, but is socially patterned. Ir Med J. 2013; 106(4):118-20. View

Ashrafi Asgarabad A, Naghibzadeh Tahami A, Khanjani N . Exposure to hand-held mobile phone use while driving among Iranian passenger car drivers: an observational study. J Inj Violence Res. 2011; 4(2):96-7. PMC: 3426907. DOI: 10.5249/jivr.v4i2.130. View

Ma S, Tran N, Klyavin V, Zambon F, Hatcher K, Hyder A . Seat belt and child seat use in Lipetskaya Oblast, Russia: frequencies, attitudes, and perceptions. Traffic Inj Prev. 2012; 13 Suppl 1:76-81. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2011.645382. View

Ozkan T, Puvanachandra P, Lajunen T, Hoe C, Hyder A . The validity of self-reported seatbelt use in a country where levels of use are low. Accid Anal Prev. 2012; 47:75-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2012.01.015. View

10.

Burgut H, Bener A, Sidahmed H, Albuz R, Sanya R, Khan W . Risk factors contributing to road traffic crashes in a fast-developing country: the neglected health problem. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2010; 16(6):497-502. View

11.

Chaudhary N, Tison J, Casanova T . The effects of Maine's change to primary seat belt law on seat belt use and public perception and awareness. Traffic Inj Prev. 2010; 11(2):165-72. DOI: 10.1080/15389580903524791. View

12.

Munk M, Carboneau D, Hardan M, Ali F . Seatbelt use in Qatar in association with severe injuries and death in the prehospital setting. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009; 23(6):547-52. DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x00006397. View

13.

Bener A, Verjee M, Dafeeah E, Yousafzai M, Mari S, Hassib A . A cross "ethnical" comparison of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) in an economically fast developing country. Glob J Health Sci. 2013; 5(4):165-75. PMC: 4776840. DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v5n4p165. View

14.

Bener A, Ozkan T, Lajunen T . The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire in Arab Gulf countries: Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Accid Anal Prev. 2008; 40(4):1411-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2008.03.003. View

15.

Caird J, Willness C, Steel P, Scialfa C . A meta-analysis of the effects of cell phones on driver performance. Accid Anal Prev. 2008; 40(4):1282-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2008.01.009. View

16.

Barss P, Al-Obthani M, Al-Hammadi A, Al-Shamsi H, El-Sadig M, Grivna M . Prevalence and issues in non-use of safety belts and child restraints in a high-income developing country: lessons for the future. Traffic Inj Prev. 2008; 9(3):256-63. DOI: 10.1080/15389580802040352. View

17.

Masten S . Do states upgrading to primary enforcement of safety belt laws experience increased daytime and nighttime belt use?. Accid Anal Prev. 2007; 39(6):1131-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2007.02.010. View

18.

Eluru N, Bhat C . A joint econometric analysis of seat belt use and crash-related injury severity. Accid Anal Prev. 2007; 39(5):1037-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2007.02.001. View

19.

Bener A, Al Humoud S, Price P, Azhar A, Khalid M, Rysavy M . The effect of seatbelt legislation on hospital admissions with road traffic injuries in an oil-rich, fast-developing country. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2007; 14(2):103-7. DOI: 10.1080/17457300701212033. View

20.

Walker L, Williams J, Jamrozik K . Unsafe driving behaviour and four wheel drive vehicles: observational study. BMJ. 2006; 333(7558):71. PMC: 1489223. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38848.627731.2F. View