JHAS Vol. 11, No. 2, 2021 Free Full Text Articles are Available at www.jhas.org.np 63 Original Article Factors Associated with Driving Behavior and Road Trafc Accidents among Public Vehicle Drivers in Kathmandu Valley: A Cross-sectional Study Suraj Bhushal l , Bishnu P Choulagai 2 , Rakshya Niroula 3 , Ambika Tapa Pachya 1 1 Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal 2 Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal 3 Program Support Team, United Mission to Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal ABSTRACT Introduction: Vehicle drivers are most signifcant stakeholder in any road trafc accident (RTAs). Tis study aims to assess their knowledge related to trafc signs and attitude towards safe driving practices and to identify self-reported risky driving behaviors, their encounter of RTAs, and their associated factors. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in Kathmandu valley where14 prime spots were randomly selected and time location sampling was done. Face to face interview was done with public vehicle drivers using pretested structured questionnaire. We analyzed the association using logistic regression. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institute of Medicine. Informed written consent was taken the participants. Results: Of 411 public vehicle drivers, mean age was 31.8 (±8.2) years. All participants were male of which 71.0% lived in a joint family. More than half had less than 10 year experience and 20% of them were driving 12-18 hours per day. Half of them had good knowledge on trafc signs while nearly one tenth had non-supportive attitude towards safe driving practices. Prevalence of at least one risky driving behavior was 68%, however, only a few cases had been caught and fned by trafc. Self-reported encounters of RTA were 21.7%; of these, 22.2% also had human injuries. Experiences of driving less than 10 years and living in a nuclear family were signifcantly associated with risky driving. Moreover, age of public vehicle drivers less than 25 years, living in nuclear family and continuing driving while fatigue were also signifcantly associated with RTAs. Conclusion: Only half of drivers had good knowledge on trafc signs. Risky driving behavior present in about seven among ten public vehicle drivers and two among ten encountering RTAs. We recommend interventions targeted to change behavior among drivers to reduce risky driving behaviors, to increase age bar for permitting driving license for public vehicles and not continuing driving while fatigue to reduce RTAs. Keywords: Road trafc accidents drivers, Trafc, Driving behaviors, Kathmandu INTRODUCTION Road trafc accidents (RTAs) are among the leading causes of unnatural deaths, morbidities and disabilities. 1 Global share of RTAs accounts to 1.35 million of death tolls with road trafc injuries afecting people of age 5-29 years; as a major killer. 2 Lower and middle income countries make a share of around 60% of the world’s total registered vehicles while 90% of the world’s crash deaths occur here. 2 More than 85% of all deaths and 90% of disability adjusted life years were lost from road trafc injuries in developing countries. 3 Te seriousness of problem can be felt in the notion that not a single day passes without a RTA. 4 Despite of being a pertinent preventable cause of this loss, absolute control of RTAs has not been established as it involves multi-dimensional factors of causation. 5 Study shows that drivers were found to have risky driving behavior and thus encountered RTAs. 6 While there is very little known about the driving behaviors among public vehicle drivers in Nepal. 7-9 Every year more than 5,500 accidents occur in Kathmandu Valley causing more than 180 deaths. 9 A study done in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal also showed that public vehicles-like bus (10.51%) and microbus (5.89%) are attributable to RTAs. 8 Tus, the study was carried out among public vehicle drivers in Kathmandu Valley to assess their knowledge related to trafc signs and attitude towards safe driving practices, and to identify self- reported risky driving behaviors, their encounter of RTAs and their associated factors. Te study fndings may help Correspondence: Suraj Bhushal, Department of Community Health Sciences, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal, Email: surajbhushal@pahs.edu. np JHAS 2021; 11(2): 63-69 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37107/jhas.331