The moderating influence of fatalistic traffic beliefs on pedestrians’ risk perception and safe walking behaviour in Ghana

Global and local traffic safety reports indicate that pedestrians account for a significant share of road traffic deaths and injuries, particularly in urban areas where vehicle-pedestrian encounters are frequent. Beyond infrastructure and policies, human factors such as fatalistic traffic beliefs and cultural superstitions (i.e. socio-cultural factors) also influence pedestrian safety. Understanding these socio-cultural factors is essential for designing effective safety campaigns and behavioural interventions. This study examined whether fatalistic beliefs moderate the relationship between risk perception and safe walking behaviour among pedestrians in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey of 1060 pedestrians in Accra and Kumasi and a moderation analysis, the study assessed the extent to which the influence of risk perception on walking behaviour varies across levels of fatalistic traffic beliefs. The results showed that risk perception was positively associated with safe walking behaviour, whereas fatalistic traffic beliefs had a weak positive association with it. The interaction between risk perception and fatalistic traffic beliefs was negative and statistically significant, suggesting that stronger fatalistic beliefs modestly weaken the positive relationship between risk perception and safe walking behaviour. Although the magnitude of the interaction effect was relatively small, the findings suggest that fatalistic traffic beliefs may influence how pedestrians translate perceived risk into behavioural responses. The study contributes to the growing literature on socio-cultural influences on road safety and highlights the potential value of considering fatalistic beliefs when designing context-specific pedestrian safety education and risk communication initiatives.