Investigating Self‑Reported Violations of the Drivers of Bandar Abbas City and Its Relation with Their Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Traffic Regulations

Objectives: Road traffic accidents are much higher than the global average in Iran. Since the main cause of road traffic accidents is attributed to driver’s risky behaviors, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and violation of drivers toward traffic regulations in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Methods: The study was carried out among 562 drivers in Bandar Abbas using cluster sampling method. The data were collected through a valid and reliable researcher‑made questionnaire that had four sections including items assessing the demographic, knowledge, attitude, and violation of drivers toward traffic regulations. Results: The mean score for drivers’ knowledge, attitude, and violations were estimated to be 8.71 ± 2.5, 42.4 ± 7.6, and 56.7 ± 11.8, respectively. Drivers’ knowledge and attitude levels were low; only 11.4% of men and 9% of women had good knowledge. The use of mobile phone (74.6%) and drunk driving (9.4%) were reported as the most frequent and the least frequent driving behaviors, respectively. There was a significant relationship between knowledge with attitude, knowledge with violations, and attitude with violations (P < 0.001). Marital status, age, and driving history were significantly associated with drivers’ knowledge, attitude, and violations (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is recommended to reduce driving violations by implementing targeted and comprehensive plans to raising the level of knowledge and attitude of drivers toward driving regulations.