Risky road-use behaviour among students at the University of Benha, Egypt

Road traffic injuries constitute 45% of deaths due to injury in Egypt. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify and investigate risky behaviours regarding road use among university students in Benha. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 953 students. Of the respondents 19.3% reported not complying with pedestrian road traffic safety rules, while among drivers, 39.4% had no driving licence, 44.5% did not use a seat-belt and 63.5% exceeded the legal speed limits. In binary logistic regression analysis, substance use (OR 18.3; 95% CI: 9.10-23.3) and having peers with similar behaviours (OR 2.53; 96% CI: 1.15-5.55) were significant predictors of not following road traffic safety rules as a pedestrian. Exceeding the legal traffic speed limits as a driver was significantly associated with male sex (OR 5.13; 95% CI: 1.98-13.3), peer pressure (OR 8.70; 95% CI: 3.90-17.1) and substance use (OR 3.30; 95% CI: 1.58-13.7). Unsafe road-use behaviours that may cause unintentional injuries are prevalent among University of Benha students. Health education sessions and training courses for students on appropriate road behaviours may be warranted.