UAE motorists say traffic safety improving: survey

1,010 people took part in questionnaire on driving perceptions

UAE traffic is steadily becoming safer, according to a study of drivers' perceptions.

The latest UAE Road Safety Monitor, a survey commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and QIC Insured every six months since 2015, found that motorists' perception was that dangerous driving was down by 8 per cent and tailgating down by 12 per cent. Drivers also thought that speeding had reduced by 7 per cent and lane swerving by 9 per cent.

The most recent edition of the questionnaire was conducted by YouGov and issued to 1,010 UAE residents in August. Participants were asked a number of questions related to how they viewed road safety in the Emirates. The results, published on Saturday, showed a positive trend, said Thomas Edelmann, managing director of RoadSafetyUAE.

“For the first time in this long-term perception study – since 2015 - all perceived behavior trends point in the right direction: UAE motorists observe less lane swerving, less speeding, less distracted driving, less tailgating and overall less reckless driving,” he said.

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“Despite these very positive trends, more needs to be done, as the absolute levels of perceived misbehavior are still high. The hard work of all involved stakeholders must continue, especially with regards to education and creating awareness for proper conduct.”

In addition, 10 per cent fewer respondents agreed with the statement “my commute to work by road is taking longer,” compared to six months ago, and fewer respondents reported being involved in an accident than ever.

On the flipside, fewer UAE motorists reported “overall driving enjoyment” and fewer agreed with the statement that road infrastructure in the country had improved.