UAE road improvements not matched by better driving behaviour, finds inaugural Zurich RoadSafetyUAE Driving Dashboard

Driving behaviour in the UAE remains stubbornly poor despite significant investments and improvements in road infrastructure, according to the inaugural Zurich RoadSafetyUAE Driving Dashboard.

The study, commissioned by global insurer Zurich and RoadSafetyUAE.com, and conducted by global market research company YouGov, is the first ongoing study to quantify perceptions of driving in the United Arab Emirates. The dashboard is based on the views of more than 1,000 UAE residents about five key checkpoints: Safety, Collisions, Traffic, Fines and Enjoyment.

Commenting on the launch of the Zurich RoadSafetyUAE Driving Dashboard, Brian Reilly, CEO of Zurich Insurance Middle East, said: There are plenty of opinions about the experience of driving in the UAE but little in the way of hard facts. This ongoing biannual study will generate data and insights to encourage a culture of safe and responsible motoring, while supporting the goal of UAE Vision 2021 to catapult the Emirates into the worlds top five safest countries to drive.

Safety
Respondents lauded the efforts of UAE government institutions to build new roads, bridges and access roads, with 68% reporting that road infrastructure has improved in the last six months, with only 12% stating the opposite.

Yet 53% also believe the UAEs roads have become more dangerous over the same period, compared with 26% who say they have become safer. The findings were particularly pronounced in Sharjah where 61% of respondents perceive driving has become more risky.

65% of respondents say they have seen more speeding vehicles on the roads, a figure that was broadly consistent across the emirates. Tailgating is also believed to be on the rise with 65% seeing more of this behaviour, as is the prevalence of distracted drivers with 75% reporting seeing an increase in the last six months.

Thomas Edelmann, founder of RoadSafetyUAE.com, said: Despite comprehensive efforts to enhance and improve our roads, the irresponsible behaviour of significant numbers of motorists remains a stubborn challenge. Speeding, tailgating and distracted driving are all killers and yet all are entirely preventable. The UAE authorities are doing their part to make our roads safer and more efficient, it is now the turn of the countrys drivers to fulfil their end of the bargain.

Collisions
One in five (20%) drivers reported being in a vehicle collision in the last six months, with males (22%) significantly more likely than females (16%) to have been in a crash. Drivers in their mid-to-late 20s were the most likely to have had a collision (26%), followed by those aged over 40 (20%) and younger drivers aged 18-24 (20%).

Traffic
Nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents reported their commute is taking longer than six months ago, with a lucky 17% enjoying a quicker drive to work. Commuters in Sharjah (73%) and Dubai (66%) are most likely to have experienced an increase in their commute time, compared with 57% in Abu Dhabi. Conversely, a quarter (25%) of Abu Dhabi drivers have seen a reduction in their commute, with just 14% in Dubai and 10% in Sharjah reporting the same.

Fines
More than a quarter (27%) of drivers surveyed received a speeding or traffic violation fine in the last six months, with men (28%) more likely than women (20%) to have been ticketed. Drivers in their mid-to-late 20s were the most likely transgressors (32%).

Enjoyment
Despite a perception that the roads are less safe, 41% of respondents say they enjoy driving on the UAEs roads more than six months ago, compared to 29% who enjoy it less. Drivers in Abu Dhabi are significantly happier, with 50% reporting an increase in their driving enjoyment compared with 39% in Dubai and 32% in Sharjah.

Kailash Nagdev, UAE Managing Director for YouGov commented: With 53% of residents saying driving has become more dangerous despite improvements in the quality of UAE roads, the findings only highlight the importance of the opinions of the very people who navigate the UAE roads every day to help the government and its residents enforce the sustainable measures necessary to make the Emirates a safer and more enjoyable place to drive.

The Zurich RoadSafetyUAE Driving Dashboard can be found here: http://www.roadsafetyuae.com/statistics/. The study will be repeated every six months with the next scheduled for release in the final quarter of 2015.