Safety issues are always a top priority because they involve human lives. Empirically, safety can reduce accidents. However, despite ongoing efforts to improve transportation safety, ship accidents still occur. For example, during the 2023-2024 period, 16 river vessel accidents occurred along the Musi River in Palembang, Indonesia. This situation likely occurred because ship crews exhibited substandard safety behavior, with limited safety awareness and knowledge. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of safety awareness and safety knowledge on safety behavior. The study employs a quantitative methodology grounded in literature reviews, subsequently analyzed by meta-analysis. The literature review entailed the selection of 15 relevant publications indexed in Google Scholar Scopus, and SINTA, from 2015 to 2024. A meta-analysis conducted with JASP 19.0 software revealed that safety awareness and safety knowledge significantly influence safety behavior, with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.739 and 0.275, respectively, at a p-value of less than 0.01. Safety knowledge has a minimal impact on safety behavior, whereas safety awareness exerts a significant influence. This study demonstrates the absence of publication bias, indicating that the examined papers accurately reflect the actual circumstances. This evidence corroborates and enhances prior research that supports the meta-analysis. It offers a fresh viewpoint on the influence of safety awareness and knowledge on safety behavior. In the future, scholars and professionals, especially those who work in river transportation services, need to talk about it more.

Keywords

Safety issues, safety awareness, safety knowledge, safety behavior, meta-analysis.