Road Safety Behaviors of First-Year Undergraduate University Students in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

University students are a vulnerable population for road traffic injuries, yet there is a limited comprehensive understanding of their road safety behaviors. In Thailand, where traffic-related mortality rates among young adults are high, research on university students’ safety behaviors remains inadequate. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe protective and risk behaviors among 388 first-year student road users in Southern Thailand and compare these behavior scores by gender, faculty, licensure, driving frequency, and accident history. Data were collected using the Road Safety Behavior online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Overall, safe road behaviors were common. However, pillion riders and vehicle passengers exhibited a moderate frequency of protective behaviors, highlighting key vulnerabilities. Primary protective behaviors included checking vehicle safety before travel, using helmets and seatbelts for all passengers, and walking facing traffic when there is no sidewalk. Main risk behaviors included using a mobile phone while travelling (highest risk), sleeping during vehicle transit, unsafe pillion riding, overloading the vehicle, distracting the driver, running a yellow traffic light, speeding, and crossing roads unsafely. Male students, frequent motorcycle users, experienced motorcycle riders, and those with a history of accidents while riding were more likely to engage in risk behaviors. License possession did not correlate with road safety behaviors. Male pedestrians exhibited both more protective and more risk-taking behaviors than females. The findings highlight a gap; the safety of pillion riders and vehicle passengers continues to be overlooked. Universities should include road safety in orientation programs, focusing on the primary issues identified in this study and running continuous campaigns. Nurses in university health services should screen risk behaviors and provide brief education. Health policy should prioritize safe passenger behavior when using vehicles.