All-Time-High ‘Driving Enjoyment’, strong appreciation for ‘Road Infrastructure Improvement’ and positive trends for reckless driving – ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ (10th cycle)

10^th cycle of the unique perception study of UAE motorists (running since 2015), first post COVID

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The results of the 10^th cycle of the unique and long-running ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ study show all-time-highs for UAE Driving Enjoyment (71%) and near all-time high for Road Safety Improvement (83%). Most dimensions of reckless driving develop positively. Accident Involvement (32%) and Commute Time (56%) develop negatively.

The ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ 10^th cycle fieldwork was conducted in January 2024 and the results are now available. The study was commissioned by Al Wathba Insurance jointly with RoadSafetyUAE, and conducted by YouGov (representative UAE sample n=1,001), with this cycle being the first one after COVID.

Overall, the results show positive trends for the tracked dimensions of reckless driving when compared with the previous cycle (9^th) and in comparison with the ‘all-time-highs’ over the 10 cycles. However, it must be noted, that these dimensions are still on absolute high levels (‘strongly agree’ + ‘agree’):

• Perception that Traffic Has Become More Dangerous: 45% of the respondents (-1% vs. 9^th Cycle, -11% from All-Time-High (ATH))
• Perception of Speeding Vehicles:  63% (unchanged vs. 9^th Cycle, -4% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Tailgating Vehicles: 58% (-4% vs. 9^th Cycle, -11% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Distracted Drivers: 62% (-9% vs. 9^th Cycle, -17% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Lane Swerving: 61% (-4% vs. 9^th Cycle, -8% vs. ATH)

“This unique perception study provides valuable feedback about the impact of the involved stakeholders’ efforts aimed at increasing road safety,” said Frederik Bisbjerg, CEO Al Wathba Insurance. “We participated in this study because we believe that gathering and communicating these indicators to the public will positively influence behavior and eventually decrease road accidents.”

Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE adds: “Over the 10 cycles of this unique study, we have seen a recurring pattern. On the one hand, the government continues to improve the traffic infrastructure, which is greatly appreciated by the respondents. On the other hand, the road users’ behavior continues to be the challenge. Even though we observe positive trends with regards to reckless driving in this latest cycle, the absolute levels of these dimensions are still very high and must be lowered! It takes 2 to tango! The UAE motorists who appreciate the ever-better road infrastructure must recognize their responsibility and they must pro-actively contribute by improving their behavior in displaying a more caring and safety-centered attitude behind the wheel!”.

The details of all the 10 Cycles of the UAE Road Safety Monitor can be found in the ‘featured’ section on: http://www.roadsafetyuae.com/statistics

The study will be repeated every six months with the next cycle planned for HY2/2024.