Effective Factors of Seat-Belt Use in front Seat Passenger on Urban Trips of Bushehr: Application of Protection Motivation Theory

The aim of this study was to evaluate the constructs of protection motivation theory (PMT) for predicting seat-belt use in front seat passenger on urban transportation.  In this cross sectional study, 328 participants who traveled in urban streets during the past week as a front seat passenger during February to May 2018 were selected through multistage cluster sampling. A questionnaire including demographic characteristics, items related to PMT’s constructs, and seat-belt use behavior were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.  In this study, 234 participants (71.3%) used seat-belts as front seat passenger of whom 27.7% (n=91) used seat-belt on mandatory law, and 43.6% (n=143) used seat-belts for personal safety. The predictors of using seat-belt were intention (P<0.001, Exp (B)= 1.28), self-efficacy (P=0.031, Exp(B)=1.09), perceived response costs (P =0.003, Exp(B)=0.88), perceived reward of unsafety behavior (P=0.005, Exp(B)=0.82). The predictors of using the seatbelt for safety were intention (P<0.001, Exp(B)= 1.41), perceived response costs (P<0.001, Exp (B)=0.82), perceived reward (P=0.003, Exp(B)=0.78). The predictors of using seat-belt as law forcing was the intention (P=0.005, Exp(B)= 1.20), self-efficacy (P<0.001, Exp(B)=1.18), perceived reward (P=0.011, Exp(B)=0.82).  In addition to the mandatory seat belt law which, through self-efficacy and reducing the rewards of not using the seat belt increases the seat-belt use, the convenience of the seat belt with two mechanisms for reducing the perceived barriers to seat belt and reducing the benefits and rewards of not using the seat belt in people with view of maintenance safety increases seat-belt use.