Youths' behaviors in the traffic: a survey among academics of nursing

Abstract

The traffic accidents are an important problem of public health because of the high morbi-mortality and for they cause high social and economical costs. Was realized, therefore, an epidemic and traverse study in Goiânia, Goiás, in 2006, which had for objective to verify the frequency of risk behaviors that could contribute to the occurrence and gravity of traffic accidents among youths university. The sample was composed by 310 academic of the nursing course of the Universidade Católica de Goiás, with median of age of 20 years, predominantly of the feminine gender, white color and of the middle society. About 80% of the students told habit of driving. Of these, 52.2% drive without driver's license. 73.2% only answered that always use safety belt as drivers. Approximately 37% told involvement in traffic accidents. Lack of attention (69%), disrespect to the signaling (27.8%) and excess of speed (27%) were factors that contributed to occurrence or gravity of the accident. A significant percentile of participants drives in the counter hand, do forbidden surpassing and surpass the speed limit. It is pointed out that the behavior characteristics survey in the traffic among young individuals makes possible the creation and upgrading of strategies that can reduce the occurrence, gravity and consequences of this accident type.