From risk perception to accident: An empirical test of the risk chain process model

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of comprehension of road hazards communication designs and safety climate on risk perception as well as the effect of the latter on road traffic accidents among commercial vehicle drivers in Ghana. Two hundred and twenty-six (226) commercial vehicle drivers participated in this study. Questionnaires were administered to drivers who travel outbound from Accra to nine (9) other regions of Ghana to enhance the external validity of the research findings. Path analysis, using structural equation modelling, was performed on the data obtained. Results of the SEM or path analysis revealed that all the hypothesized relationships were significant except three paths. The non-significant ones included the paths from RHCDs comprehension to risk perception and to driver decision making respectively, as well as the path from driver decision making to risk-taking behaviour. Overall, the model fitting showed that the proposed model for the study derived principally from the risk chain process model has empirical support. The implications are that risk perception influences risk-taking behaviour and decision making, whereas the latter influences risk exposure. In addition, safety climate influences risk perception, risk-taking behaviour, and road traffic accidents. Similarly, risk-taking behaviour influences risk exposure while risk exposure influences road traffic involvement. These implications were discussed in the light of the existing theory and extant empirical literature.