Introduction
Greece continues to report relatively high rates of serious road traffic injuries and fatalities compared to other European countries. Phone distraction, low seatbelt use in cars, and low helmet use for motorcyclists have been observed. A research gap exists for the role of road users' observed gender in these behaviours.
Purpose
In this study we use naturalistic observation to register safety-related behaviour of car occupants and motorcycle riders in Greece.
Method
Traffic was observed in Athens, Heraklion, and Psachna, between October 2024 and January 2025. A total of 15,288 road users were observed, 6,693 car occupants and 8,605 motorcyclists. Trained coders analysed the first 10 minutes of each daylight hour to capture seatbelt use of car occupants and helmet use of motorcycle riders (drivers and passengers). Observed gender for car occupants and motorcycle riders was registered. In addition, phone use was registered for car drivers and motorcycle drivers (but not for other occupants/passengers).
Results
Average seatbelt use was critically low at 56% and decreased further for front (51%) and rear-seat passengers (21%). Motorcycle driver helmet use varied from 98% (Heraklion) to 60% (Psachna), with an average 33% lower use among passengers. Mobile phone use was registered for 13% of car drivers, and considerably lower for motorcycle drivers (2.2%). Female road users had significantly higher helmet use and seatbelt use when controlling for their position in the car / motorcycle. Cars with female drivers had significantly higher seatbelt use among other occupants in the vehicle. However, average phone use did not differ significantly between female and male drivers.
Conclusions
Female road users in Greece behaved safer than male road users for crash severity related variables (helmet and seatbelt use). Increased female driver seatbelt use "transferred" to other car occupants. This gender-related effect was not found for distraction behaviour (phone use).