An investigation of traffic safety knowledge, behaviour and risk perception for schoolchildren: a case study of India

Manjunath Ishwar Borakanavar; Akhilmith V; Hoai Nguyen Pham; Yogeshwar V Navandar; K Krishnamurthy

doi:10.55329/ixuu3946

Authors

Manjunath Ishwar Borakanavar National Institute of Technology Calicut, India
Akhilmith V National Institute of Technology Calicut, India https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7231-1691
Hoai Nguyen Pham University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Yogeshwar V Navandar National Institute of Technology Calicut, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5788-0609
K Krishnamurthy National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55329/ixuu3946

Keywords:

road safety, school commuters, traffic behaviour

Abstract

School-going children in India are disproportionately vulnerable to traffic-related injuries due to behavioural, infrastructural, and systemic shortcomings. Despite growing awareness of road safety, a major gap persists in understanding how cognitive and social factors jointly influence children’s safety orientation across different travel modes. This study examines the relationship between risk perception, safety attitudes, observed adult behaviours, and self-reported risky practices among Indian school children aged 12–18 commuting by two-wheelers, cars, auto-rickshaws, school buses, or private/state buses. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 925 students across two Indian states through both online and offline surveys. Descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Multiple Regression Analysis were employed to identify latent constructs and assess the predictive influence of attitudinal, perceptual, and observational factors on children’s safety behaviour. Although most students demonstrated adequate safety awareness, observed adult misbehaviour and permissive risk attitudes significantly predicted unsafe practices. Regression analyses revealed that adult rule violations (β = 0.099–0.307) and limited risk perception explained up to 50% of variance in risky acts. School bus users showed higher behavioural awareness and safer attitudes (β = 0.439), while two-wheeler, auto-rickshaw, and private/state bus commuters displayed greater risk-taking tendencies. The study concludes that children’s traffic safety is shaped by cognitive, social, and environmental factors rather than knowledge alone. Mode-specific, context-sensitive interventions integrating behavioural education, parental and driver involvement, and structured supervision are essential to bridge the gap between awareness and safe action among young commuters.

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Author Biographies

Manjunath Ishwar Borakanavar, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

Manjunath Borakanavar got his master's from MVJ College of Engineering Bangalore in 2016. He has worked as an Assistant Professor in Sanjivani College of Engineering, Kopargaon, and has 5 years experience in the field of teaching. He is now a PhD scholar in Department of Civil Engineering, NIT Calicut. His research is in traffic safety education, traffic flow analysis, and road safety behaviours of school-going children. He has extensive hands-on experience in data collection and data management.

CRediT contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing—original draft.

Akhilmith V, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

Akhilmith V is a Junior Research Fellow at NIT Calicut, working on a SERB-INAE funded project focused on VR-based traffic safety education for school children. He obtained his Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering and Planning from SVNIT Surat in 2021, and his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Government Engineering College Thrissur in 2018. Prior to joining NIT Calicut, he gained valuable research experience as a Research Fellow at IIT Guwahati. His research interests include traffic safety research, virtual reality applications in education, pavement engineering, and sustainable construction materials.

CRediT contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing.

Hoai Nguyen Pham, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Hoai Nguyen Pham is a Ph.D. student at Hasselt University, Belgium. He got his master’s degree in Transportation Sciences from Hasselt University in 2019. He is now a lecturer at Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City. His interest research is traffic safety, persuasive technology in education, smart city, and transport economics.

CRediT contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation.

Yogeshwar V Navandar, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

Dr. Yogeshwar V Navandar currently working as Assistant Professor in Department of Civil Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Calicut, India. He worked on ‘Traffic flow operational analysis at manually operated toll plazas under mixed traffic conditions in India’ for his PhD. The thesis is relevant in terms of qualitative and quantitative evaluation for the user's perception and traffic flow operational characteristics respectively. The concept of Tollbooth Equivalency Factor (TEF) has been proposed by him which is one of the novel approaches to convert mixed traffic into equivalent flow at toll plaza instead of PCU. He has developed a road user's perceived Level of Service model using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Ordered Probit Model (OPM). He has a good hands-on experience in data collection, data management, advanced modelling (such as SEM and OPM), and analytical capability. His area of research expertise includes traffic flow analysis, road safety, pedestrian safety, infrastructure management, inland waterways and users' perceptions related studies.

CRediT contribution: Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Writing—review & editing.

K Krishnamurthy, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

Dr. K Krishnamurthy is presently Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India. He graduated in Civil Engineering from Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore, in 1993, and obtained post graduate degree in Urban Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, in 1996. He completed his doctoral degree in Transportation Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over 25 years of experience in teaching and research in traffic and transportation engineering. The areas of academic and research interest include traffic flow modeling, road safety analysis, non-motorized transport, transport economic analysis, and environmental impact assessment of transport. Besides teaching, he has guided several post-graduate students and research scholars, and published over 75 research and technical papers at various conferences and in national and international journals. He is a core member in the Centre for Transportation Research (CTR)—a centre of excellence established at NIT Calicut, founded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Dr. Krishnamurthy is a certified Road Safety Engineer and Auditor, accredited by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). He is a member in several professional bodies in the area of traffic and transportation engineering.

CRediT contribution: Supervision, Validation, Writing—review & editing.

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