Underage driving and seat-belt use of high school teenagers in Qatar

ABSTRACT Many crashes occur every year that involve drivers who are unlicensed and underage. One of the main challenges for traffic safety authorities is the lack of detailed information about this alarming phenomenon. This study aims to investigate the rate of underage driving among high school teenagers and thoroughly examine their awareness, perception, and use of the seat belt as one of the main in-vehicle safety features. Data was obtained from a self-report questionnaire. The results indicated that 59% of the participants drive without having a driver's license, and 47% reported that they use seat belts as a driver or a passenger. The results of the logistic regression model indicated that four significant factors affected high school teenagers' use of seat belts: (1) driving a car to school or “being a driver,” (2) personal perception of the role of seat belts in saving lives, (3) keen to require back-seat passengers to buckle up, and (4) previous attendance in a safety campaign that emphasized the importance of using seat belts.