All-Time-High ‘Driving Enjoyment’, strong appreciation for ‘Road Infrastructure Improvement’ and positive trends for reckless driving – ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ (10th cycle)

The results of the 10^th cycle of the unique and long-running ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ study show all-time-highs for UAE Driving Enjoyment (71%) and near all-time high for Road Safety Improvement (83%). Most dimensions of reckless driving develop positively. Accident Involvement (32%) and Commute Time (56%) develop negatively.

The ‘UAE Road Safety Monitor’ 10^th cycle fieldwork was conducted in January 2024 and the results are now available. The study was commissioned by Al Wathba Insurance jointly with RoadSafetyUAE, and conducted by YouGov (representative UAE sample n=1,001), with this cycle being the first one after COVID.

Overall, the results show positive trends for the tracked dimensions of reckless driving when compared with the previous cycle (9^th) and in comparison with the ‘all-time-highs’ over the 10 cycles. However, it must be noted, that these dimensions are still on absolute high levels (‘strongly agree’ + ‘agree’):

• Perception that Traffic Has Become More Dangerous: 45% of the respondents (-1% vs. 9^th Cycle, -11% from All-Time-High (ATH))
• Perception of Speeding Vehicles:  63% (unchanged vs. 9^th Cycle, -4% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Tailgating Vehicles: 58% (-4% vs. 9^th Cycle, -11% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Distracted Drivers: 62% (-9% vs. 9^th Cycle, -17% vs. ATH)
• Perception of Lane Swerving: 61% (-4% vs. 9^th Cycle, -8% vs. ATH)

“This unique perception study provides valuable feedback about the impact of the involved stakeholders’ efforts aimed at increasing road safety,” said Frederik Bisbjerg, CEO Al Wathba Insurance. “We participated in this study because we believe that gathering and communicating these indicators to the public will positively influence behavior and eventually decrease road accidents.”

Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE adds: “Over the 10 cycles of this unique study, we have seen a recurring pattern. On the one hand, the government continues to improve the traffic infrastructure, which is greatly appreciated by the respondents. On the other hand, the road users’ behavior continues to be the challenge. Even though we observe positive trends with regards to reckless driving in this latest cycle, the absolute levels of these dimensions are still very high and must be lowered! It takes 2 to tango! The UAE motorists who appreciate the ever-better road infrastructure must recognize their responsibility and they must pro-actively contribute by improving their behavior in displaying a more caring and safety-centered attitude behind the wheel!”.

The details of all the 10 Cycles of the UAE Road Safety Monitor can be found in the ‘featured’ section on: http://www.roadsafetyuae.com/statistics

The study will be repeated every six months with the next cycle planned for HY2/2024.

About Al Wathba Insurance:

From the very beginning, Al Wathba Insurance has centered its business around people. Al Wathba Insurance has constantly innovated solutions to help manage risk in ways that meet the needs of the customer and the market. Now, with 25+ years of solid experience in servicing the UAE insurance market, a strong capital base and the support of a panel of internationally renowned reinsurers, Al Wathba Insurance is on its way to being the Company of Choice in the UAE, one that creates real tangible value to its stakeholders and provides the needed security and reliability to its customers. The Company is proud to be rated BBB- with a positive outlook by S&P global ratings and to have been recognized by the UAE’s insurance regulatory body for 2 consecutive years for its transformative digitized and smart technology.

About RoadSafetyUAE:

RoadSafetyUAE’s vision is to contribute to reducing the number of road traffic fatalities, injuries and accidents in the UAE. RoadSafetyUAE’s mission is to raise the awareness for proper conduct on our roads, in an engaging manner and on a broadly communicated and permanent basis. RoadSafetyUAE’s award-winning platform engages with the stakeholders traffic participants, governmental entities, the media, and more than 20 corporate social responsibility (CSR) minded partners. ‘Tips & Tricks’ are the content backbone, provided for more than 60 topics of road safety, all specifically relevant to the UAE. More can be found on www.RoadSafetyUAE.com