Nearly a third of UAE parents still travelling without child car seats, study finds
Survey reveals gap between parents’ safety knowledge and car seat use in UAE
Dubai: Nearly three in ten parents in the UAE are travelling without a child car seat for young children, despite the near-universal recognition of their safety benefits, according to a new survey commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and Al Wathba Insurance.
The study, which surveyed 1,010 UAE residents in January 2026, found that 72 per cent of parents with children aged between zero and four years old own a proper child restraint system leaving 28 per cent without one. This comes nine years after the UAE made child car seats mandatory for children up to the age of four in 2017.
Child restraint systems can reduce the risk of death in a road accident by up to 71 per cent and the risk of injury by up to 82 per cent, making the non-use of seat belts and restraints the single biggest obstacle to reducing road fatalities both in the UAE and globally. While 95 per cent of surveyed parents acknowledged that children are better protected in a seat, ownership and consistent use lag significantly behind that knowledge.
Why parents go without
Among parents who do not own a child car seat, the survey identified a range of justifications. The most commonly cited reason, given by 29 per cent of non-owners, was that their child does not like being strapped in. Others cited the belief that an adult holding the child provides sufficient protection, confidence that their own driving ability precludes any accident, or the perceived cost of purchasing a suitable seat.
The picture is complicated further by those who own a seat but choose not to use it consistently. Nearly 79 per cent of parents always use a child car seat, 18 per cent report using one most of the time, and just under three per cent say they never do.
Among this group, similar reasoning emerged:
43 per cent said they were confident they would not be involved in an accident and therefore saw no need to secure their child.
A significant proportion said their children resist being strapped in
Some stated they only make short trips and regard the seat as unnecessary.
A smaller number said they did not believe child seats effectively protect children in the event of a collision.
Even among seat owners, usage in vehicles other than the family car is inconsistent. Only 52 per cent of parents said their child always uses a proper child seat when travelling in a taxi, limousine, or a friend's car. Twelve per cent said their child never uses one in such circumstances.
Progress since 2017
The data does reflect meaningful improvement since the legislation took effect. Ownership has risen eight percentage points from 64 per cent in 2017 to 72 per cent today, while the proportion of parents who say their child always uses a seat has risen nine points, from 70 per cent to 79 per cent.
What needs to change
Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE, said the identified reasons for non-ownership and non-use must now be directly addressed by those responsible for road safety policy. He called for educational campaigns to begin at the pre-natal stage, ideally supported by a mandatory newborn discharge policy at hospitals, requiring proof of car seat ownership before a family leaves, a practice already in place in many other countries.
"It is of key importance to educate parents about the undebatable benefits of child seats and about being in compliance with the law. The educational efforts directed at parents must happen in the pre-natal stage at hospitals, ideally coupled with a mandatory new-born discharge policy linked to providing proof of car seat ownership."
Edelmann stressed that education must continue at the kindergarten stage and throughout a child's schooling, alongside robust enforcement measures to ensure children are afforded the best possible protection. "If you love your kids, buckle them up, on all trips," he said.
Muralikrishnan Raman, Chief Financial Officer of Al Wathba Insurance, echoed those sentiments, noting that despite the legal requirement and the clear evidence base, it remains a common sight to see children unrestrained in moving vehicles.
"Proper restraint systems save lives and spare us from injuries in case of car accidents, and this is true for adults and children alike. Anecdotally, we all witness children roaming around in cars without proper protection occasionally, and we wanted to put figures and facts behind this topic of utmost importance," Raman said.
He added that instilling safe habits in children from the earliest possible age remained critical to long-term progress on road safety.
