Long wait at traffic lights increases accident risk, UAE study finds

Impatient drivers 'rush' to beat red light cycles they think are too long – and one in Dubai took 256 seconds to change

Dedicated traffic lanes help emergency vehicles to cut through congested roads and respond to vital calls more quickly. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Reducing the time it takes for traffic lights to change could lessen the risk of accidents, a road safety expert has said.

Salaheddine Bendak, an academic at the University of Sharjah, established a link between the length of time traffic lights take to change and the chances of accidents at busy intersections.

The researcher said it was possible that accidents are more common at junctions with a longer "cycle length" between green to red because impatient motorists rush to "beat" red lights they think are long.

Some lights were found to take more than four minutes to change, while at other junctions they took less than two.

The longer the drivers wait, the more they are willing to cross a red light. Some cycles are very long - for one it was 256 seconds

The study of 16 traffic light intersections in Dubai also suggested offences were more common at weekends, even though the roads were less busy.

“There will always be violations... even for unintentional reasons people will cross red lights," said Dr Bendak.

“We found the cycle length was a bit of a problem – the longer the drivers wait, the more they are willing to cross a red light. Some cycles are very long, for one it was 256 seconds.

“I understand the position of the municipality, when you have so many vehicles crossing you need to give priority for all sorts of different reasons. But it might be contributing to people feeling a bit more frustrated.”

Dr Bendak said possible solutions included smart lighting systems, which can adjust cycle length times based on traffic flows. More underpasses or overpasses for pedestrians could also help, he said.

His study found that the number of crashes at intersections and red light violations was low compared to many other major cities, despite very high traffic volumes.

For example, the rate of 0.63 offences per 10,000 vehicles found at at Dubai intersections compares with 2.1 in Qatar and 12.6 in Philadelphia in the US. The level of fines for offences - Dh1,000, 12 black points and the confiscation of your vehicle for 30 days - as well as the presence of cameras at many junctions, was likely to act as a deterrent.

However, the statistics also revealed a strong link between a longer cycle length at lights and an increased risk of violations, accidents and injuries.

Abu Dhabi Police recently released accident footage to show the dangers of failing to stop at a red light. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Police

The research showed that although lights with a cycle length of more than 200 seconds only made up 37.5 per cent of the 16 intersections studied and had 43.5 per cent of the total daily traffic volume, they accounted for 56.3 per cent of violations, 51.6 per cent of crashes and 60 per cent of injuries.

Dr Bendak’s study analysed a week’s worth of traffic volume data collected by Dubai Police and the Road and Traffic Authority.

Weekly traffic volume at the 16 junctions analysed ranged from 267,300 to 1.1 million vehicles.

Dr Bendak recommended a more in-depth study to investigate the issues further.

"Despite the low red light crossing rate found in the current study, there is a room for improvement by dropping the rate further," his paper, published in the Advances in Transportation Studies journal, said.

“This can be done by improving public awareness through targeted media campaigns, compulsory traffic safety education at school level and increasing penalties.

“All of those methods have been proven to help in improving public awareness and reducing red light violations.”

Thomas Edelmann, of Road Safety UAE, said drivers simply not paying attention was another major reason for running red lights.

Drivers "letting their guard down" at quieter times may explain the higher violation rate at weekends, he added.

“Another key concern of road safety is poor time management, where motorists start their journey late, don't calculate possible delays or simply miscalculate the needed journey time," he said.

"It is wrong and dangerous to believe that lost time can be caught up on the roads.

“Crossing intersections certainly is a critical situation in road traffic and hence, needs the full attention of motorists, in all instances.

"We must not be distracted, nor be in a hurry, nor not pay proper attention to traffic lights at intersections.”