Fatores intervenientes no comportamento de motociclistas quanto à velocidade: um estudo sob a ótica da teoria do comportamento planejado estendida

Abstract

The intensive use of motorcycles has increased traffic fatality rates, especially in countries such as Brazil. Among the risk factors, speed choice stands out. Understanding the elements that influence this decision is essential for planning road safety actions. This study aims to identify the factors influencing motorcyclists' intention to comply with speed limits, using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A risk perception construct was included to reflect motorcyclists’ intuitive judgments about the consequences of speeding. Furthermore, the influence of gender and motorcycle use in the TPB framework was also investigated. To this end, the Motorcyclist Speed Compliance Questionnaire (MSCQ) was developed, based on the study of salient local beliefs and applied to a sample of 358 motorcyclists in Fortaleza City, Brazil. The consolidated psychometric instrument was used to test a set of hypotheses using Structural Equation Models. The results showed the strong effect of perceived behavioral control and attitude on the intention to comply with speed, as well as the central role of risk perception on attitude and perceived behavioral control. It also appears that, at least for the Fortaleza city scenario, peer influence plays an indirect role in motorcyclists speed compliance. Based on the hypothesis testing and the final TPB/SEM analysis, several safety interventions were recommended.