Young UAE drivers can benefit from cheaper insurance if they stick to road rules, say experts

Starting July 1, new drivers will only be issued licences for a period of two years. Expatriates can renew their driving licences in five years, instead of 10.

The probationary licence will give young motorists a better grip of the rules. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

ABU DHABI // A two-year probation period for newly licensed drivers will teach them to obey rules and may cut future insurance premiums, experts say.

“Better and safer drivers reduce the risk of accidents and over time this will be factored into motor insurance premiums, which are calculated on the basis of the risk of each driver,” said Frederik Bisbjerg, regional vice president of Qatar Insurance.

"We already take the number of years a driver has driven in UAE with no accidents into consideration when calculating the insurance premium and safer driving behaviour is rewarded with lower premiums."

Almost half of road accidents last year were caused by drivers between 18 and 30. The road toll for last year was 725 people, from 675 in 2015.

From July 1, new drivers will be issued licences for two years. Expatriates will now have licences valid for five years, instead of 10.

The new licence is significant because it means new drivers of all ages will have a two-year licence rather than a 10-year one in some cases.

It will mean a history if bad driving or a medical condition is flagged up much sooner than at present.

Sanish Velayudhan, senior vice president at Gargash Insurance, said the changes would not have an immediate effect on the premiums of new drivers.

But in the long term there may be a reduction when traffic accidents are reduced or minimised as a result of the new rules.

“The five-year driving licence for expats is expected to promote better driving behaviour,” Mr Velayudhan said. “There will be no impact since insurers consider a year-wise claims history which penalises unsafe driving and rewards safe driving through discounts.

“I have no doubt that the new driver licensing rules will benefit overall road safety in UAE.”

Young drivers have significantly higher crash rates than older motorists. They are more likely to be involved in single-car crashes, make driver errors, and speed or drive too fast without considering road conditions.

“My advice to young motorists with newly acquired licences would be to respect the roads much more than they think they should,” Mr Bisbjerg said.

“They should drive with a mindset that other drivers make irrational decisions on the road, and adjust their driving accordingly.”

The Emirates Driving Company in Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Driving Institute in Dubai have yet to receive official word from the Ministry of Interior and the Roads and Transport Authority about the changes

Two years for new licences makes sense for young drivers and new expatriates, said Glenn Havinoviski, associate vice president of US traffic management company Iteris.

“However, the real issue is enforcing laws that exist today, such as sticking to speed limits, seat belt use and banning the use of mobile phones while driving,” Mr Havinoviski said.

Bob Undalok, 36, a Filipino in Abu Dhabi who is set to take his theory lessons, said he had no problems with the new rule.

“I’ve been driving since I was 14 in Cebu,” Mr Undalok said. “I agree that young novice drivers should only get a two-year driving licence. Maybe the law can later provide for exemptions, particularly for experienced drivers.”

Mohammed Fahad, 27, is taking driving lessons.

“I’ve got five years of driving experience in Pakistan,” Mr Fahad said. “I heard about changes from a friend, but we can’t do anything about it.”

The new directive also states patients with certain ailments that affect their ability to drive may not be issued licences, after co-ordination with health authorities.

“It’s entirely sensible to place driving restrictions on those who have known medical conditions, which may affect their ability to drive safely, will become known and action can be taken,” said Phil Clarke, principal road safety consultant at the Transport Research Laboratory UAE.