Traffic Police Knowledge Awareness, Attitude and Practice on Motor Vehicle Pollution City of Nairobi-Kenya

Samson Murangiri Mukaria^1, , Kiemo Karatu Raphael G Wahome¹, Thuita Thenya¹ and Michael Gatari¹

¹Wangari Maathai Institute, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, University of Nairobi

Cite this paper:
Samson Murangiri Mukaria, Kiemo Karatu Raphael G Wahome, Thuita Thenya and Michael Gatari. Traffic Police Knowledge Awareness, Attitude and Practice on Motor Vehicle Pollution City of Nairobi-Kenya. Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health. 2017; 5(3):111-116. doi: 10.12691/jephh-5-3-6

Abstract

People’s knowledge of awareness, attitudes and practices towards motor vehicle emissions that are dangerous and a requirement is paramount for reducing exposure among people, their impact and response of interventions that are aimed at encouraging behavioral change. This study evaluated the knowledge, awareness, attitude and practice on motor vehicle pollution among the traffic police officers in Nairobi city. The study was directed by the following the objectives: To appreciate the level of knowledge among the traffic police officers about and attitudes towards motor vehicle air pollution and associated health effects. The survey interviewed a purposive and non-random stratified sample of 127 police officers, according to their seniority, years of employment and work experience, from the target population of traffic police working in major road junctions within the CBD, Nairobi Kenya. The sampled junctions were Kamukunji, Railways terminal, University way and Uhuru Highway roundabouts. In addition, from the leadership rank, five (5) key informants were also interviewed. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Discussions were held with the key informers. The study found that majority 40.2% said that they had a good knowledge of the issue. 96.3% indicated they had Knowledge of the laws on traffic related pollution and traffic regulations training. 98.1% had attended a traffic management course. 76.6% indicated that they had usefulness of motor vehicle air pollution information. The study concludes that motor vehicle air pollution affects the day to day operation of the officers; especially those working in the traffic department.

Keywords:
knowledge awareness attitude motor vehicle pollution

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Ralte L, Ralte L, and Lalramnghinglova H. Assessment on different levels of noise pollution in Aizawl City, Mizoram, India. Science Vision, 2013; 13: 157-161.
[2]	Ingle, B. G, Pachpande, N. D., Wagh, V. S. Patel, S. T. and Attarde, S. B. “Exposure to vehicular pollution and respiratory impairment of traffic policemen in Jalgaon city, India,” Industrial Health, 2005; vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 656-662.
[3]	Weigel, R.H., Newman, L.S., Increasing attitude-behavior correspondence by broadening the scope of the behavioral measure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1976; 33 (6), 793-802.
[4]	United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (1999). Report on the development and harmonization of environmental standards in East Africa, August 22, 2011, <http://www.unep.org/padelia/publications/VOLUME2K32.htm>.
[5]	Shashidhara, G. S. A descriptive study to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding safety measure among traffic policemen, to protect against health hazards generated by traffic air pollution in Bangalore city [Ph.D. dissertation], Rajiv Gandi University of Health Sciences, Community Health Nursing, Bangalore, India, 2005.
[6]	The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50, 179-211. Ajzen, I 1991.
[7]	Rachou O.,. Traffic-related air pollution: Exposure and health effects in Copenhagen Street cleaners. Archives of Environmental Health 1995; 50(3): 207-13.
[8]	Mavale-Manuel, D. Air pollution and health in urban areas. Reviews on Environmental Health. 2004.15(12): 13-24.
[9]	Nganga, C.A., Enviromental-Impacts of Road Transportation in Kenya. Journal of Applied Sciences 1998; 7 (16): 2536-2360, 1998.
[10]	Aryal, B.K. Lee, R. Karki, A. Gurung, J. Kandasamy, B.K. Pathak, S. Sharma, N.Giri Seasonal PM10 dynamics in Kathmandu valley Atmospheric Environment, 42 (2008), pp. 8623-8633.
[11]	McGranahan, G., and F. Murray, eds. Air pollution and health in rapidly developing countries. Scaling Urban Environmental Challenges: From Local to Global and Back. London: Earthscan. (2003).
[12]	Faucet V and Sevingny F New directions: air pollution and road traffic in developing countries. Atmospheric environment. 1998 34(27): 4745-4746.
[13]	Goldberget M, Kaune WT, Savitz DA, Ahlbom A. Estimating exposure in studies of residential magnetic fields and cancer: importance of short-term variability, time interval between diagnosis and measurement, and distance to power line. Epidemiology, 2001; 7, 220-4.
[14]	Rainham DG, Birkett NJ, Evans J, Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Burnett R, Krewski D. Estimates of global mortality attributable to particulate air pollution using satellite imagery. Environ Res, 2005; 120, 33-42.
[15]	Babisch W, Beule B, Schust M, et al. Traffic noise and risk of myocardial infarction. Epidemiology 2005; 16: 33-40.
[16]	Fogari A, Zoppi A, Vanasia G, et al. Occupational noise exposure and blood pressure. J Hypertens 1994;12:475
[17]	GOK.. The Factories and Other places of Work (Hazardous Substances) Rules 2007. Legal Notice No. 60 of 2007. 2007; Government Printer.