In most regions of the world the global epidemic of traffic injuries is still increasing. It has been estimated that unless immediate action is taken, road deaths will rise to the fifth leading cause of deaths by 2030. It may result in an estimated 2.4 million fatalities per year [1].

In recent years, some important studies on the subject of road accidents and fatalities carried out by World Health Organization (WHO) have highlighted the growing significance of road crashes as a cause of death particularly in developing countries [2].

Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are the leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 29 and second leading cause of mortality among 20-24 years of age [3]. In addition to fatalities, less severe injuries also occur leading to disabilities. In India an estimated 2 million people have a disability that results from a road traffic crash [4].

Road traffic injuries place a huge strain on health care services in terms of financial resources, bed occupancy and demand placed on health professionals. Studies in India show that road traffic injuries account for 20-50% of emergency room registrations, 10-30% of hospital admissions and 60-70% of brain injuries [5]. 91% of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low income and middle income countries.

Approximately 62% of reported road traffic deaths occur in 10 countries – which in order of magnitude are India, China, The United States, The Russian Federation, Brazil, Iran, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, and Egypt [6]. A global survey shows that pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of motorized two wheelers and their passengers account for around 46% of global road traffic deaths [6].

It is estimated that without additional efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic deaths worldwide and injuries is forecast to rise by some 65% between 2000 and 2020 [2]. In low-income and middle-income countries the deaths are expected to increase by as much as 80 % [2]. A number of these risks are elevated among young road users, including pedestrians, drivers and passengers of both cars and motorcycles.

Understanding the risks faced by the young road users is important in order to plan appropriate programmes to reduce road traffic deaths and

Around half of the participants were attending the phone call while driving, drive bike with more than two persons and frequently exceed the speed limits.

Table I: Age and gender wise distribution of participants

Table II: Knowledge of students regarding road safety measures while using a motor vehicle

Table III: Awareness among study participants regarding road traffic signs

Sl. No.	Traffic sign	Interpretation of sign	Number of students (%)
1		No stopping	163(36.22)
2		No Overtaking	111(24.66)
3		Stop before proceeding	293(65.11)
4		Pedestrian Crossing	158(35.11)
5		School zone ahead	232(51.55)

Only less than half were using helmets and 1/5th of them were involved in drunken driving during the past year. Our findings were similar to the observation in the study conducted by Swamy et al. in Chandigarh [11]. Such high risk taking behavior among the study participants is alarming. Alcohol and driving is a well-known notorious combination responsible for an increased morbidity and mortality associated with road traffic accidents.

Around half of the participants admitted to the use of mobile phones while driving, drive bike with more than two persons and agreed to having exceeded speed limits while driving. These findings are similar to studies conducted by Gharaibeh et al. in Saudi Arabia [9] and Kulkarni V, et al. in South India [12].

The behaviors concerning mobile usage and over-speeding while driving are highly dangerous to the driver and to the public. Hence, these behavior patterns need to be addressed through proper legislative and educative measures. Practices relating to road safety should be encouraged to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to road traffic accidents.

The level of knowledge regarding road safety measures was satisfactory but interpretation of traffic signs was poor. Efforts should be made in improving this issue through signboards, posters and mass media. Even though a positive attitude was observed, the practice of road safety measures was very poor. Strict enforcement of laws and periodic organization of traffic awareness campaigns are essential for checking out risky practices in driving and thereby can result in decreasing the burden of road traffic accidents.