Dubai: Forget the rains, 98 per cent of the accidents on UAE roads happen in good weather and on clear roads, the latest open data road safety statistics (for 2023) uploaded by the Ministry of Interior suggests.
According to the data, distracted driving, sudden deviation, tailgating, negligence and lack of lane discipline were the top five violations, accounting for 71 per cent of fatalities and 61 per cent of injuries in accidents on UAE roads in 2023.
The other reasons include speeding, fatigue and drowsiness, entering the road before it is empty, driving under the influence of alchohol, jumping the red light and ignoring pedestrian crossings.
The total number of fatalities at 352, was slightly higher (3 per cent) than the figure for 2022, but eight per cent lower than the number for 2021. The number of injured persons at 5,568 was 10 per cent higher than in 2022, and 27 per cent more than in 2021.
Analysing the open data, road safety expert Thomas Edelmann of RoadSafetyUAE told Gulf News that despite the fatalities hovering near an ‘all-time low’ over a 15-year period, "lack of consideration was the overriding reason behind all violations.
“We all have driving licences and should know how to drive safely, but we don’t. Lack of a caring attitude, time pressure, not wearing a seat belt (including children) and disrespect towards others all add up. Unfortunately, it seems we drive more ‘against each other’ than ‘with each other’,” he said.
Vulnerable segment
The open data also shows that young road users in the age bracket of 19 to 29 years are the most vulnerable, accounting for 38 per cent of all fatalities and 36 per cent of the injured. Fifteen per cent of all major accidents are also caused by new driving license holders.
The total number of major accidents was 4,391, with light vehicles (including cars and four-wheel drives) accounting for 69 per cent of the accidents, followed by motorcycles (12 per cent) and micro-mobility users (4 per cent).
Drivers bear the brunt
In terms of casualties, drivers accounted for 55 per cent of the fatalities, passengers 28 per cent and pedestrians 17 per cent. Similarly, 58 per cent of the injured comprised drivers, 26 per cent passengers and 16 per cent pedestrians.
Edelmann said, “Safe habits should be created as early as possible and already at kindergarten and school level, the driving school education could be revisited, staged driving licenses and monitoring technologies for novice drivers should be considered.”
The open data also shows the maximum number of accidents take place during the evenings (40 per cent), compared to the mornings, noon time or afternoons.
The 10 most dangerous roads were also identified, with the maximum number of accidents occuring on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Street, followed by Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road and Al Khail Road.
