Motorists see increase of tailgating on UAE roads, survey shows

A survey showed motorists believed tailgating to have increased within the last six months but figures from Dubai Police indicated no change. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

DUBAI // Motorists believe cases of tailgating are increasing on the country’s roads despite continuous calls against the dangerous behaviour, a survey has shown.

According to the UAE Road Safety Monitor survey, conducted by YouGov last month, motorists believed tailgating to have increased within the last six months but had positive things to say about infrastructure improvement, driving enjoyment and commute time.

The survey, which is commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and Qatar Insurance Company and is conducted every six months, is based on the views of more than 1,000 UAE residents.

Thomas Edelmann, the founder of RoadSafetyUAE, said the data accumulated over the three cycles helped form comprehensive conclusions. “We are now in the position to start identifying trends of the perceived behaviour of UAE motorists, and not only snap shots,” he said.

“It is very important to track these trends, as they shall help all involved stakeholders in the public and private segments as one feedback tool for their various education, enforcement and infrastructure initiatives.”

Despite 69 per cent of responders saying they had observed more tailgating within the last six months — an increase from 64 per cent from the previous six months — statistics from Dubai Police show cases of tailgating remain the same.

Some 19 per cent of all road incidents from March to August occurred due to tailgating.

Of the 1,472 traffic incidents that took place in Dubai in the first half of this year, 286 were a result of tailgating, said Brig Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the General Department of Traffic. Twenty-one people were killed in such incidents and more than 250 injured.

Meanwhile, in the first half of 2015, Dubai Police recorded 1,526 traffic incidents, of which 277 were a result of tailgating. In that time frame, 17 people were killed and 185 injured.

“Tailgating was and remains one of the top causes of traffic accidents and, despite continuous awareness campaigns, some people still engage in such dangerous behaviour,” said Brig Al Mazrouei.

“Some people think that tailgating and speeding will get them to their destination quicker, when in reality it makes little time difference and puts everyone on the road in danger.

“If we don’t leave enough distance between vehicles, it affects visibility and the driver’s ability to control his vehicle. It also has a negative affect on the reflexes of the driver in front.”

Brig Al Mazrouei said that Dubai Police will not be lenient with those who tailgate.