Developing a model for preventing and resolving road accidents through the mechanism of the Road Safety Operations Center Committee and community participation in Huai Thap Than District, Sisaket Province

Abstract

            This participatory action research (PAR) aimed to: 1) develop a district-level model for preventing and resolving road traffic accidents, and 2) examine the effectiveness of the developed model on public knowledge, attitudes, and safety behaviors. The participants consisted of 68 key informants involved in model development, including members of the District and Local Road Safety Operation Centers, as well as 400 residents in Huai Thap Than District, Sisaket Province, selected through a multi-stage sampling process. The research instruments included a 4-phase PAR process and questionnaires assessing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test.

            The results revealed that: 1) The developed model, termed the "Huai Thap Than Integrated Road Safety Model," comprises five key components: systematic road safety management, promotion of safe road use, promotion of safe vehicles, development of safe infrastructure, and post-crash care. 2) After implementation, residents showed a statistically significant increase in mean knowledge scores regarding traffic rules and safety from 7.90 to 8.42 (p<.001), mean attitude scores toward accident prevention from 3.40 to 3.52 (p=.020), and mean safety behavior scores from 3.38 to 3.55 (p=.003). These findings confirm that strengthening the Road Safety Operation Centers' mechanism, combined with community participation, is an effective strategy for establishing sustainable local road safety.