On UAE roads last year, there were fewer fatalities but much more injuries
According to statistics from the Ministry of Interior, there were more injuries but fewer fatalities reported in traffic incidents on UAE roads last year.
3,945 collisions were reported in 2022, up from 3,488 in 2021, a 13% increase.
According to the ministry, 343 individuals died in 2022, down from 381 the year before.
5,045 persons were hurt in traffic accidents, nearly twice as many as the 2,620 who were hurt the year before.
significant decline
"The current number of fatalities represents a 68 percent drop within the last 14 years, which is remarkable," said Thomas Edelmann, managing director of Road Safety UAE.
Several difficulties among drivers have been revealed by research in recent years, he claimed.
'Running late' and a lack of a 'caring attitude' are important reasons, according to decades of YouGov behaviour surveys carried out by RoadSafetyUAE.
"Regular root cause analysis is required, and the findings must be widely and transparently disseminated.
297 men and 46 women died in traffic accidents last year, with 74% of the victims being between the ages of 18 and 45.
The two cities with the most fatalities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, recorded 127 and 120 deaths, respectively.
34 individuals perished in Ras Al Khaimah, 33 in Sharjah, 13 in Ajman, 12 in Umm Al Quwain, and 4 in Fujairah, according to the statistics.
Accident causes and effects
Last year, distraction contributed to 948 accidents, making it the main cause. Abu Dhabi had the most distracted driving incidents, with 509, followed by Sharjah with 119, and Dubai with 111.
With 848 accidents, lane indiscipline and unexpected swerving were other important contributing factors.
A lack of acceptable distance contributed to 505 accidents, whereas 359 incidents were the result of entering a road before it was determined to be safe to do so.
346 accidents were caused by drivers who did not consider the state of the roads and disregarded traffic signals.
Another 177 accidents resulted from running red lights, while 116 incidents were brought on by drunk driving.
improving traffic safety
According to Mr. Edelman, the UAE government has taken a number of steps to increase road safety, including stepping up enforcement of traffic laws, launching awareness programmes, and implementing sophisticated traffic monitoring and detection systems.
"It is necessary to design a set of activities based on root causes. Road users are aware that tailgating is dangerous, so we should stop wasting our time advising them to stop, said Mr. Edelman.
The main reasons should be addressed instead, as in the statement "Start your road trip 10 minutes early and you won't need to tailgate, speed or bully others and you'll enjoy lower levels of stress while driving."
According to Mr. Edelman, fostering a safety-conscious attitude from an early age could reduce incidents involving young drivers.
The ideal programme would extend from kindergarten all the way through university education, he said.
To ensure that young drivers are fully aware of safe behaviours and manners, he advised implementing a phased driving licence programme for learner drivers and having tracking technology for young drivers, similar to what is used in other nations.
