Motorcycle riders are among the most vulnerable road users due to their direct exposure to dynamic traffic environments, while many traffic accidents are preceded by near-miss incidents that provide valuable opportunities for proactive safety evaluation. This study aimed to examine the effect of Situational Awareness (SA) on near-miss and crash incidents among university student motorcycle riders and to evaluate the contribution of the Situation Awareness Rating Technique (SART) dimensions, namely Demand, Supply, and Understanding. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed involving 96 Universitas Malikussaleh students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire based on the SART instrument and analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression after confirming the validity and reliability of the instrument and the fulfillment of regression assumptions. The results demonstrated that Situational Awareness had a significant negative effect on both near-miss (β = −0.614, p < 0.001) and crash incidents (β = −0.370, p < 0.001), explaining 48.7% and 42.3% of the variance, respectively. Furthermore, the Understanding dimension consistently showed the strongest influence on both safety outcomes, whereas the Supply dimension was not significantly associated with crash incidents. These findings indicate that improving riders' cognitive ability to recognize, interpret, and anticipate hazardous traffic situations may contribute to reducing near-miss events and crash risks, providing practical implications for motorcycle safety education and hazard perception training among university students.
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