DOI: 10.5937/jaes16-16669
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 terms and conditions.

Volume 16 article 513 pages: 153 - 160
In
recent years the economic and infrastructure development have led to increase
the number of private vehicles on the roads in Oman. The increased motorized
traffic tends to increase the roadside accidents that results in fatalities and
injuries. To ensure safe mobility of the citizens, it is very important to
evaluate the underlying factors that contribute towards the occurrence of accidents
so that proper countermeasures can be developed and implemented. The main
objective of this study was to identify the most significant driver’s
distraction factors through a questionnaire survey and suggest some policy
measures. The designed questionnaire was consisted of personal and driving
attributes, and potential internal and external factors that cause distraction
to the drivers. This questionnaire survey was conducted at some feasible
locations in Muscat and Nizwa city with drivers of different vehicles. The
results of 252 collected samples showed that the use of mobile phone, eating
while driving and presence of passengers in vehicle are the most significant
internal distraction factors. Significant external factors included looking at
the scenic elements, advertisement boards and other drivers. It was predicted
that cell phone, interaction, and disturbance-oriented factors are significant
determinants of driver’s propensity to be involved in an accident. This study
proposed some behavioral intervention techniques that need to be considered for
the improvement of traffic safety in Oman.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd