Introduction: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are a significant public health concern, especially among adolescents, who are at higher risk due to lack of awareness and non-compliance with traffic rules. Proper knowledge of road traffic regulations is crucial in reducing accident rates and ensuring road safety. As the proverb goes, “Precaution is better than cure,” understanding and following road traffic rules can prevent accidents and save lives. This study aims to assess the knowledge regarding road traffic rules among adolescents in a selected college in Bangalore. Objectives of the Study: (1) To assess knowledge regarding Road Traffic Rules among the adolescents in selected college at Bengaluru. (2) To find out the association between knowledge regarding Road Traffic Rules with selected sociodemographic variables. Methods: A descriptive survey approach was used for the study. Nonprobability convenient sampling technique was used to select 100 adolescent students from R.I.N.E.R, Bangalore. The data was collected through administration of structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge of adolescents regarding road traffic rules. The study was conducted for a duration of 4 weeks in which 25 samples will be assed in each week. The data collected was then analyzed for the study results. Results: The study revealed that 27% of the adolescent respondents had adequate knowledge of road traffic rules, 48% had moderate knowledge and 15% had inadequate knowledge regarding road traffic rules. There is no significant association between knowledge regarding road traffic rules and selected socio-demographic variables except, gender (χ²= 19.552, df = 2, p-value 0.0001 and is significant at p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that majority of adolescent students have adequate knowledge onof road traffic rules. The proper educational program for the adolescents on Road Traffic Rules helps in prevention of RTA. Conducting more research on road traffic rules can be advantageous for both adolescents and society.

Keywords: Adolescents, demographic variables, road traffic accidents, road traffic rules

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Wikipedia contributors. Safety. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2010. Available from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety.
2. Wikipedia contributors. Road traffic safety. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_traffic_safety.
3. Wikipedia contributors. Traffic collision. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision.
4. World Health Organization. Road traffic injuries. Geneva: WHO; 2024. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries.
5. Shantajit T, Kumar C, Quazi Syed Z. Road traffic accidents in India: An overview. Int J Clin Biomed Res. 2018;4:36– doi:10.31878/ijcbr.2018.44.08.
6. American Academy of Pediatrics. Stages of adolescence. Itasca (IL): HealthyChildren.org. Available from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-Adolescence.aspx.
7. Child and adolescent road safety: Technical guidance 2022. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund; 2022. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/130721/file/UNICEF_ Child_and_Adolescent_Road_Safety_Technical_Guidance_2022.pdf.
8. Kohli G, Malar Kodi S, Sethi M. Road accidents among adolescents. J Asia Pac Stud. 2013 Dec;3(2):245–259.
9. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Road accident in India. New Delhi: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Available from: https://morth.nic.in/road-accident-in-india.
10. Potter PA, Perry AG, Stockert PA, Hall A. Fundamentals of nursing. 11th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Elsevier Health Sciences Division; 2022. p. 5–6.
11. McCartt AT, Leaf WA, Farmer CM, Ferguson SA, Williams AF. Effects of Florida’s graduated licensing program on the behaviours and attitudes of teenagers. J Safety Res. 2001;32(2):119–31. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0022-4375(01)00040-8.
12. Tiruneh BT, Bifftu BB, Dachew BA. Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic incident among adolescents and children in the hospitals of Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. BMC Emerg Med. 2019;19:25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-019-0238-1.
13. Khan UR, Razzak JA, Warnberg MG. Global trends in adolescents’ road traffic injury mortality, 1990–2019. Arch Dis Child. 2021;106(8):753–757.
14. Chumpawadee U, Homchampa P, Thongkrajai P, Suwanimitr A, Chadbunchachai W. Factors related to motorcycle accident risk behavior among university students in northeastern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2015;46(4):805–821.
15. Chumpawadee U, Homchampa P, Thongkrajai P, Suwanimitr A, Chadbunchachai W. Factors related to motorcycle accident risk behavior among university students in northeastern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2015 Jul;46(4):805–21. PMID:
16. Pitaktong U, Manopaiboon C, Kilmarx PH, Jeeyapant S, Jenkins R, Tappero J, et al. Motorcycle helmet use and related risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults in Northern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2004;35(1):232–241.
17. Kalbandkeri LR, GB, Ghooli S. A study to assess the knowledge and practice of road safety measures among undergraduate medical students of M. R. Medical College, Kalaburagi. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Mar 23;5(4):1596–601.
18. Oinam J, Rajkumari B, Singh HD, Ningombam J. Awareness and practices on road safety among adolescents school children in Imphal, Manipur: a cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019 Nov;6(11):4850.
19. Baniya S, Timilsina A. Knowledge and practice of road safety rules and regulations among secondary school students. Prithvi Acad J. 2018 May 31;1(1):23–3. Available from:https://nepjol .info/index.php/paj/article/view/25897.

20. Pathak SK. A study to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding road safety measures and prevention of accidents among two wheeler teenage riders in selected schools and pre university colleges in Jaipur with a view to develop an information booklet. Int J Nurs Educ Res. 2018;6(4):367–370. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5958/2454-2660.2018.00089.3.
21. Jothula KY, Sreeharshika D. Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward road safety regulations among college students in Telangana state. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_442_20.
22. Rahim A, Be E, Bani I, Yagoub U. Awareness level of safe driving knowledge and practice of specific population drivers: Behavioural assessment and educational intervention. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022;48:4119–4129. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-022-01948-5.
23. Jayavel M, Lisha LM. Knowledge and attitude regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among adolescents. IPP. 2014;2(1):328–39. Available from: http://www.innpharmacotherapy.com/ VolumeArticles/FullTextPDF/68_68_5IPPSAJAN2014New.pdf.
24. Suprabha M. A descriptive study to assess the knowledge and attitude towards road safety rules and regulation among adolescents studying in selected schools of districts Olan, Himachal Pradesh. Int J Sci Res (Raipur). 2022;11(1):353–8. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.21275/sr22105105017.
25. Ranjan DP, Fahim MA, Kirte RC. A cross sectional study to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards road traffic safety among adolescent students of a selected pre-university college in Raichur city. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 May 22;5(6):2446–52.

Introduction: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are a significant public health concern, especially among adolescents, who are at higher risk due to lack of awareness and non-compliance with traffic rules. Proper knowledge of road traffic regulations is crucial in reducing accident rates and ensuring road safety. As the proverb goes, “Precaution is better than cure,” understanding and following road traffic rules can prevent accidents and save lives. This study aims to assess the knowledge regarding road traffic rules among adolescents in a selected college in Bangalore. Objectives of the Study: (1) To assess knowledge regarding Road Traffic Rules among the adolescents in selected college at Bengaluru. (2) To find out the association between knowledge regarding Road Traffic Rules with selected sociodemographic variables. Methods: A descriptive survey approach was used for the study. Nonprobability convenient sampling technique was used to select 100 adolescent students from R.I.N.E.R, Bangalore. The data was collected through administration of structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge of adolescents regarding road traffic rules. The study was conducted for a duration of 4 weeks in which 25 samples will be assed in each week. The data collected was then analyzed for the study results. Results: The study revealed that 27% of the adolescent respondents had adequate knowledge of road traffic rules, 48% had moderate knowledge and 15% had inadequate knowledge regarding road traffic rules. There is no significant association between knowledge regarding road traffic rules and selected socio-demographic variables except, gender (χ²= 19.552, df = 2, p-value 0.0001 and is significant at p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that majority of adolescent students have adequate knowledge onof road traffic rules. The proper educational program for the adolescents on Road Traffic Rules helps in prevention of RTA. Conducting more research on road traffic rules can be advantageous for both adolescents and society.

Keywords: Adolescents, demographic variables, road traffic accidents, road traffic rules

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Wikipedia contributors. Safety. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2010. Available from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety.
2. Wikipedia contributors. Road traffic safety. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_traffic_safety.
3. Wikipedia contributors. Traffic collision. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision.
4. World Health Organization. Road traffic injuries. Geneva: WHO; 2024. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries.
5. Shantajit T, Kumar C, Quazi Syed Z. Road traffic accidents in India: An overview. Int J Clin Biomed Res. 2018;4:36– doi:10.31878/ijcbr.2018.44.08.
6. American Academy of Pediatrics. Stages of adolescence. Itasca (IL): HealthyChildren.org. Available from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-Adolescence.aspx.
7. Child and adolescent road safety: Technical guidance 2022. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund; 2022. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/130721/file/UNICEF_ Child_and_Adolescent_Road_Safety_Technical_Guidance_2022.pdf.
8. Kohli G, Malar Kodi S, Sethi M. Road accidents among adolescents. J Asia Pac Stud. 2013 Dec;3(2):245–259.
9. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Road accident in India. New Delhi: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Available from: https://morth.nic.in/road-accident-in-india.
10. Potter PA, Perry AG, Stockert PA, Hall A. Fundamentals of nursing. 11th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Elsevier Health Sciences Division; 2022. p. 5–6.
11. McCartt AT, Leaf WA, Farmer CM, Ferguson SA, Williams AF. Effects of Florida’s graduated licensing program on the behaviours and attitudes of teenagers. J Safety Res. 2001;32(2):119–31. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0022-4375(01)00040-8.
12. Tiruneh BT, Bifftu BB, Dachew BA. Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic incident among adolescents and children in the hospitals of Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. BMC Emerg Med. 2019;19:25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-019-0238-1.
13. Khan UR, Razzak JA, Warnberg MG. Global trends in adolescents’ road traffic injury mortality, 1990–2019. Arch Dis Child. 2021;106(8):753–757.
14. Chumpawadee U, Homchampa P, Thongkrajai P, Suwanimitr A, Chadbunchachai W. Factors related to motorcycle accident risk behavior among university students in northeastern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2015;46(4):805–821.
15. Chumpawadee U, Homchampa P, Thongkrajai P, Suwanimitr A, Chadbunchachai W. Factors related to motorcycle accident risk behavior among university students in northeastern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2015 Jul;46(4):805–21. PMID:
16. Pitaktong U, Manopaiboon C, Kilmarx PH, Jeeyapant S, Jenkins R, Tappero J, et al. Motorcycle helmet use and related risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults in Northern Thailand. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2004;35(1):232–241.
17. Kalbandkeri LR, GB, Ghooli S. A study to assess the knowledge and practice of road safety measures among undergraduate medical students of M. R. Medical College, Kalaburagi. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 Mar 23;5(4):1596–601.
18. Oinam J, Rajkumari B, Singh HD, Ningombam J. Awareness and practices on road safety among adolescents school children in Imphal, Manipur: a cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019 Nov;6(11):4850.
19. Baniya S, Timilsina A. Knowledge and practice of road safety rules and regulations among secondary school students. Prithvi Acad J. 2018 May 31;1(1):23–3. Available from:https://nepjol .info/index.php/paj/article/view/25897.

20. Pathak SK. A study to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding road safety measures and prevention of accidents among two wheeler teenage riders in selected schools and pre university colleges in Jaipur with a view to develop an information booklet. Int J Nurs Educ Res. 2018;6(4):367–370. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5958/2454-2660.2018.00089.3.
21. Jothula KY, Sreeharshika D. Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward road safety regulations among college students in Telangana state. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_442_20.
22. Rahim A, Be E, Bani I, Yagoub U. Awareness level of safe driving knowledge and practice of specific population drivers: Behavioural assessment and educational intervention. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022;48:4119–4129. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-022-01948-5.
23. Jayavel M, Lisha LM. Knowledge and attitude regarding prevention of road traffic accidents among adolescents. IPP. 2014;2(1):328–39. Available from: http://www.innpharmacotherapy.com/ VolumeArticles/FullTextPDF/68_68_5IPPSAJAN2014New.pdf.
24. Suprabha M. A descriptive study to assess the knowledge and attitude towards road safety rules and regulation among adolescents studying in selected schools of districts Olan, Himachal Pradesh. Int J Sci Res (Raipur). 2022;11(1):353–8. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.21275/sr22105105017.
25. Ranjan DP, Fahim MA, Kirte RC. A cross sectional study to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards road traffic safety among adolescent students of a selected pre-university college in Raichur city. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2018 May 22;5(6):2446–52.