World
UAE traffic accidents on the rise, but less fatalities: Report
Traffic fatalities have been reduced across the United Arab Emirates, but the overall number of accidents and injuries related to collisions on the country’s roads have risen, a new report has revealed.
The Ministry of Interior (MOI) has released its road safety statistics for 2022, revealing that there were 343 road fatalities last year across the country – a reduction of 10 percent from 2021 when there were 381 road collision-related deaths. This also represents a 68 percent drop of road fatalities over the last 13 years with 1,072 fatalities reported in 2008.
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However, there is an overall increase in the number of serious traffic incidents, with the report revealing there were 3,945 ‘major’ accidents in 2022 – a 13 percent rise from 2021 (3,488).
The number of injuries related to road accidents also increased – with 5,045 people injured last year, compared to 4,377 in 2021 – a rise of 15 percent.
When it came to the fatalities and injuries on the country’s roads last year, 65 percent of the fatalities and 57 percent of the injuries were linked to five violations; distracted driving, sudden deviation, tailgating, and driving under the influence of banned substances, negligence and inattention.
The report found that young road users in the age bracket below 30 years are the most vulnerable, accounting for 41 percent of fatalities and 53 percent of those injured.
Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, commented on the findings, saying: “We are grateful to MOI for releasing the 2022 road safety statistics in great detail. The strongest indicator in road safety is the number of fatalities, and as this number is decreasing, it is of course wonderful news for the UAE. However, the rise in accidents and injuries is alarming, substantiating the need for a continued focus on road safety.”
Edelmann said the main five violations “must be tackled.”
“All involved public and private stakeholders are urged to consider how they can contribute to improving the situation, for example by running engaging awareness campaigns and initiatives. Ideally, schools and employers should play a vital role in addressing the road users under their influence. Possibly, the legal framework and enforcement could be further developed.”
He added: “A special focus on the vulnerable segment of young road users seems necessary. Safe habits should be created already at kindergarten and school level, the driving school education could be revisited, staged driving licenses and monitoring technologies for novice drivers should be considered.”
Other main traffic violations in 2022 involved red light violations (15; four percent); entering a road without checking it is clear (14; four percent); lane discipline (14; four percent) and a lack of appreciation for road users (14; four percent).
The report broke down the traffic accidents and incidents by emirate.
Abu Dhabi reported 127 fatalities and 1,756 injured; Dubai 120 fatalities and 2,161 injured; Ras Al Khaimah 34 fatalities and 411 injured; Sharjah 33 fatalities and 320 injured; Ajman 13 fatalities and 166 injured; Umm Al Quwain 12 fatalities and 46 injured and Fujairah four fatalities and 185 injured.
Major accidents were caused by these vehicle classes: light vehicles (66 percent), motorcycle (16 percent), buses (seven percent), and heavy freight vehicles (five percent).
The report found evenings are the most dangerous time to be on the road, when 37 percent of fatalities and 40% of injuries were recorded.
Road users cannot let their guard down on weekends, as most of the fatalities and injured recorded on Saturdays and Sundays with 16 percent respectively.
March and January stood out as the most dangerous months out on the roads, (11 percent and 10 percent respectively of combined fatalities and injuries).
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