Road Safety Awareness and Attitudes Among Undergraduate Students in a City of Western India

Introduction: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are currently the eighth leading cause of death globally, with nearly 1.3 million people losing their lives each year due to road traffic collisions. Aim: To assess the level of road safety awareness, attitudes, and driving practices among university students in an urban Indian University. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at department of PSM (Community Medicine), Govt Medical College, Sawai Madhopur, attracting students from all states of India. The study population comprised undergraduate and postgraduate students from various faculties. Result: The study among 160 participants revealed high awareness of traffic signs and driving rule penalties, but very low knowledge of specific monetary fines. Unsafe driving behaviours such as speeding, sudden speed changes, carrying excess passengers, and mobile phone use were notably prevalent. These findings emphasize the need for targeted road safety interventions to address risky practices and improve fine-specific penalty awareness. Conclusion: The study highlights good overall road safety awareness but reveals critical gaps in understanding priority rules, fines, and risky driving behaviours. Targeted education and stricter enforcement are essential to improve compliance and reduce accidents.