Most dangerous driving time in UAE during Ramadan revealed

A survey of 1,835 accidents reported last year during the month of Ramadan found the majority of crashes took place in the late morning rush hour between 11am and noon, as companies allow Muslim staff to work irregular hours.

Drivers have been urged to watch out for others in Ramadan traffic. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National
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ABU DHABI // Motorists are being warned to expect the unexpected on the roads this Ramadan as tired, fasting drivers increase the risk of accidents.

A study of 1,835 accidents last year during the holy month found most took place in the early morning rush hour between 9am to 10am, as companies allowed Muslim staff to start later.

The survey by RoadSafetyUAE, QIC Insured and Gargash Insurance Brokers, also found that Wednesday was the most dangerous day to be on the road, while Sundays were safest.

More than a third of the accidents, or 39 per cent, were caused by Indian drivers. The figure for Pakistanis was 15 per cent, Emiratis 11 per cent, Egyptians 7 per cent, Jordanian 4 per cent, and others 24 per cent.

Male drivers were responsible for 82 per cent, and 31 per cent of insurance claims were made by drivers aged 40 and above, compared with 8 per cent by those aged 18 to 24.

“As always, and even more so during Ramadan, drivers should be very attentive to their environment and drive with a mindset of others being illogical, in the sense that you should expect unexpected lane changes and abrupt braking,” said Frederik Bisbjerg, executive vice president of Qatar Insured.

“Drive with the philosophy that it’s better showing up five minutes later than not showing up at all.

“We cannot say if the accidents were caused by drivers being tired as they rarely state this as a cause for the accident.

“The main cause of accidents are distracted driving, primarily by drivers being on their phones.”

Thomas Edelmann, managing director of Road Safety UAE, said motorists should be aware of their own limits, watch out for others and drive defensively.

They should plan and manage their time to avoid the need to rush and always wear a seat belt.

Mustafa Oliyath Vazayil, managing director of Gargash Insurance, said: “Motorists must realise that even if they arrive late for a Ramadan event, people will understand.

“Good time management is crucial and motorists are urged to leave early enough and allow a time buffer to reach a destination on time.”

rruiz@thenational.ae​