Testing Effectiveness of Community Co-Created Interventions in Preventing Road Traffic Accidents of Motorcyclists in Goma City, Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction: Globally, approximately 1.35 million people die annually on the world’s roads. And between 20 and 50 million people sustain injuries often resulting in prolonged hospital stays or permanent disability. More than 90% of these road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This can be attributed to the increased use of commercial motorbikes by young people for transportation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Motorcyclists face a significantly higher risk of road accidents, being over eight times more likely to be involved in an accident compared to car drivers. WHO data published in 2020 indicated that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had 30,256 road traffic deaths, accounting for 4.60% of total road traffic fatalities. These fatalities contribute significantly to the nation’s economic losses due to medical expenses and lost productivity.  Objective: To determine the effectiveness of co-created road traffic interventions in preventing road traffic accidents of motorcyclists in Goma City, DRC.  Methodology: The study used a quasi-experimental design with a random sampling technique to reach 150 motorcyclists (75 per study group) using questionnaires and interview guides. A baseline study was conducted to explore the behavioural factors that influence road traffic accidents in Goma city and thereafter, stakeholders were included in a workshop to co-develop a behavioural change model to help prevent road traffic accidents. The intervention was rolled out and afterwards an endline survey was done to establish its effectiveness. The study was anchored on the theories of planned behaviour and socio- cognitive theory.  Results The study revealed that 148(98.7%) motorcyclists put on helmets as the safety measures but majority of motorcyclist 85(56.7%) had no protective. Also, having helmets were not associated with traffic road accident (χ2=1.2779; P-value=0. 258). Driving past stop signs was associated with road accident (χ2=9.1408; P-value=0.05. Driving under the influence of alcohol caused traffic road accident (χ2=8.7465; P-value=0.033). Drowsiness was significantly associated with traffic road accident (χ2=7.3251; P-value=0.002).  Conclusions The co-developed model anchored the theories of planned behaviour and socio-cognitive theory attained statistically significant effects in reducing motorcycle accidents.  Recommendations The research findings will be used to inform evidence-based decisions on reduction of motorcycle accidents in Goma City and similar settings.