The objective of this research is the exploration of seat belt use in Greece and particularly the identification of the parameters affecting seat belt use in Greece. A national field survey was conducted for the analytical recording of seat belt use. A binary logistic regression model was developed, and the impact of each parameter on seat belt use in Greece was quantified. Parameters included in the model concern characteristics of car occupants (gender, age and position in the car), the type of the car and the type of the road network. The data collection revealed that in Greece, the non-use of seat belt on the urban road network was higher than on the national and rural road network and young and older men use seat belts the least. The developed model showed that travelling on a national road is negative for not wearing the seat belt. Finally, the variable with the highest impact on not wearing a seat belt is being a passenger on the back seats.@en

ntroduction: Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle crashes. The objective of this research is the analysis of motorcycle helmet wearing in Greece and the identification of the related determinants. Method: Helmet wearing in Greece was recorded through an on-site observational survey. Collected data were used for the development of a binary logistic regression model. The independent variables used were time of the day, motorcycle type, road type and riders' characteristics (gender, age and position on the motorcycle). Pseudo-elasticity values for all variables were calculated in order to quantify the impact of each one on helmet wearing. Results: The survey revealed low helmet wearing rates. The rates are much higher in rural than in urban areas and for drivers of large motorcycles. Based on pseudo-elasticity values the variable with the greatest impact on wearing a helmet is being the driver. Impact on industry: The identification of some of the parameters that have an influence on the behaviour of motorcyclists in Greece concerning helmet wearing and the consequent results can be exploited by road safety policy decision makers, as well as by motorcycle and helmet industries, in future efforts for the increase of helmet wearing in Greece. Conclusions: Helmet wearing should be rigorously enforced at a population level. Community education campaigns and promotion of motorcyclists' education should be considered along with enforcement. Generally, public awareness of the crash risk associated with riding without a helmet should be increased.@en

The objective of this paper is to analyze the self-reported driving behaviour of older drivers with and without brain pathologies affecting cognition, in order to explore possible differences in self-perception of driving behaviour, through an extensive questionnaire assessment. The diagnostic categories examined include Alzheimer׳s disease, Parkinson׳s disease, and Mild Cognitive Impairment. The questionnaire was answered by 137 drivers with similar demographic characteristics, out of which 44 were healthy individuals and 93 had a brain pathology. It included questions about their driving routines, possible avoidance of driving, and their emotions and behaviours while driving. The participants were also asked about their opinion about in-vehicle driver distraction and how they deal with it. A comparison of the two groups with Kruskal-Wallis and One-Way ANOVAs, produced several statistically significant results. Patients tended to report that they were more likely to avoid using their vehicle because they were afraid of their driving abilities than healthy drivers. Regarding distraction, patients considered it too dangerous to converse with a passenger and even more so, to use the mobile phone and for that reason they reported avoiding to do so. Patients with brain pathologies reported being quite calm while driving. Overall, drivers with brain pathologies were aware of deterioration in their driving performance, and reported trying to compensate for their driving difficulties either by conservative driving or by driving avoidance.@en

The objective of this study was to investigate the rate of mobile phone use among car drivers in Greece and its association with drivers' characteristics and other parameters. Data collected through an observation survey were used in a binary logistic regression model which highlighted the explanatory factors of using a mobile phone while driving. Pseudo-elasticities quantified the impact of each variable on mobile use. The observation survey showed that 9% of car drivers in Greece use a hand-held mobile phone. The dependent variable with the greatest impact was the driver's age being between 16 and 24 years. The results will assist the development of targeted intervention strategies to decrease mobile phone use while driving and will act as a baseline against which the effect of these interventions can be measured. Education and information campaigns have a key role in increasing public awareness regarding the risks involved in using a mobile phone in traffic.@en