Department of Health Education, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
BMC Public Health. 2009 Oct 20;9:393. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-393.
Extensive body of the literature reveals that proper use of helmets is an effective way to reduce the severity of injuries and fatalities among motorcyclists. However, many motorcyclists do not use safety helmet properly. This study aimed to empirically explore reactions of motorcyclists to the safety helmet laws, in Iran.
Qualitative data were collected via four focus groups and 11 in-depth interviews. Participants were 28 male motorcyclists who never used a safety helmet during rides, and 4 male police officers. All transcripts, codes and categories were read for several times to exhaust identifiable major themes. During this process data were reduced from text to codes and themes.
Five major themes emerged from the data analyses, including themes related to the following: (1) circumventing or dodging police officers; (2) simulating a helmet wearing behavior; (3) accepting the probability of receiving a ticket; (4) taking advantage of the police neglect and carelessness; and (5) using a cheap or convenient helmet.
Our findings suggest certain levels of reckless driving among the participating motorcyclists in this study. They also point to a system of law enforcement that operates haphazardly and fails to consistently penalize those who deviate from it. Further studies are needed to investigate how "risks" are perceived and relate to "reactions", and how a 'culture of masculinity' may encourage risk tolerance and a disposition toward lawlessness and carelessness among male motorcyclists. Also, there is a need for the development and implementation of multidimensional interventions that would offer socio-culturally sensitive educational and motivational messages to the motorcyclists and the in-service traffic-enforcement officers in Iran.
大量文献表明,正确使用头盔是降低摩托车手受伤和死亡严重程度的有效方法。然而,许多摩托车手并没有正确使用安全头盔。本研究旨在实证探讨伊朗摩托车手对安全头盔法的反应。
通过四个焦点小组和 11 次深入访谈收集定性数据。参与者为 28 名从未在骑行中戴过安全头盔的男性摩托车手和 4 名男性警察。反复阅读所有转录本、代码和类别,以穷尽可识别的主要主题。在此过程中,数据从文本到代码和主题进行了简化。
数据分析中出现了五个主要主题,包括与以下内容相关的主题:(1)规避或躲避警察;(2)模拟戴头盔的行为;(3)接受收到罚单的可能性;(4)利用警察的疏忽和粗心;(5)使用便宜或方便的头盔。
我们的研究结果表明,参与研究的摩托车手存在一定程度的鲁莽驾驶行为。这也表明执法系统运作混乱,未能始终如一地惩罚那些偏离执法的人。需要进一步研究如何感知“风险”以及如何将其与“反应”相关联,以及“男子气概文化”如何鼓励男性摩托车手容忍风险和对违法行为和粗心大意的倾向。此外,需要制定和实施多维干预措施,向伊朗的摩托车手和在职交通执法人员提供社会文化敏感的教育和激励信息。