Driving national development: Relationship between road safety conditions, driver compliance, and transportation infrastructure in the Philippines

Abstract

Road safety significantly contributes to both urban and national development. This study assessed beliefs about road safety conditions and compliance with road safety rules in Malolos City, Bulacan, and examined how these beliefs would affect future infrastructure development throughout the Philippines. A quantitative descriptive-correlational and comparison research design was used to collect data from 180 licensed drivers through a self-administered survey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s r, t-tests, and ANOVA were used on the data, using a significance level of .05. The perceptions of road safety conditions in Malolos City were moderately effective, indicating a significant gap in policy implementation. The lowest functioning aspects were pavement conditions and enforcement of traffic laws. While the overall driver compliance rating was high, differences were found between younger drivers aged 18-24 and male drivers, as they demonstrated lower levels of compliance. A negative correlation between infrastructure quality and near-miss incidents was found; however, there was no significant relationship between infrastructure quality and actual traffic incidents. Therefore, improving infrastructure is insufficient without the continued enforcement of laws and changes in behavior. Recommendations include improving pavement maintenance, increasing the enforcement of traffic laws, conducting further research across wider geographical areas, and using mixed methods.