Investigating the role of health belief model on seat belt use for front seat passengers on urban and rural roads

Abstract

What makes a vehicle user buckle up? Considering the strong effect of seat belt use in reducing injuries and fatalities in a vehicle crash, we investigated the role of the health belief model on seat belt use among front-seat passengers on urban and rural roads. A questionnaire based on the theory components was randomly distributed in public areas of Sari, Iran. Structural equation model was used to test the study hypotheses. The results revealed that anticipated severity and perceived susceptibility directly affected seat belt use on urban roads, whereas perceived barriers had a reverse effect on seat belt use on urban roads. Perceived barriers with an indirect and perceived susceptibility with a direct effect, played an essential role in explaining seat belts use on rural roads. Outcomes of this study extend the knowledge of seat belts use behavior among front seat passengers by introducing new factors of potential influence, which could lead to practical solutions aimed to enhance seat belts utilization among these vehicle users and decrease the rate of injuries and fatalities in road crashes.