Motorcyclist killed in Fujairah road crash

Police say the Emirati rider, 31, died following the accident in the early hours of Sunday morning

Fujairah Police have taken action against a driver involved in a fatal crash with a motorcyclist on Sunday. Picture is for illustrative purposes. Photo: Fujairah Police

An Emirati motorcyclist was killed in a road crash in Fujairah in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said.

Fujairah Police said the 31-year-old rider died following a crash involving another vehicle on Al Mazallat Beach Street.

The sex of the deceased was not disclosed in the statement issued on social media.

The force said "legal action" was taken against a male driver, with the case referred to traffic prosecutors for further investigation.

The number of deaths on the UAE's roads have risen steadily in recent years, but remain well below those recorded a decade ago amid a major safety drive by police nationwide.

There were 384 road deaths recorded in the Emirates in 2024 – the highest since 2019, when 448 fatalities were reported – but almost half the number recorded in 2016, when 725 people died.

Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE, said the increasing number of accidents is linked to population growth, more driving licence holders and heavier traffic congestion, especially in Dubai.

“Fuller roads mean more anxious motorists, as stress levels rise in dense traffic and on congested roads,” Mr Edelmann told The National, following the release of annual road accident statistics by the Ministry of Interior last month.

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable users of the UAE's busy roads, despite efforts to bolster safety measures.

Road Safety UAE analysed data from the Ministry of Interior to understand which vehicles were most commonly involved in accidents in 2023.

Light vehicles were involved in 66 per cent of all road accidents, accounting for 2,916 of 4,391 collisions, while motorbikes were involved in 18 per cent of the total, or 783 accidents.

Of all UAE road accidents recorded in 2023, there were 42 deaths involving motorcycle riders and 1,020 recorded injuries, according to the Ministry of Interior. At Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, doctors say they treat up to 20 motorcycle delivery riders a month.

UAE residents are more worried about road safety than the risk of unemployment, serious illness or crime, a major poll released in November revealed.

Twenty-eight per cent of 1,000 people surveyed for the World Risk Poll 2024, from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation global safety charity, cited road accidents as their biggest safety issue.