Latest news with #RoadSafetyUAE
Khaleej Times
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Passengers not wearing seatbelts? Why drivers will be fined for traffic violation
A driver of a vehicle is responsible for traffic violations committed by passengers in the vehicle. Road safety expert Thomas Edelmann, Founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, emphasised that the responsibility falls squarely on the person behind the wheel. His comments come in response to new data revealed by the Ministry of Interior, which recorded 44,018 fines last year for passengers failing to wear seat belts, according to Emarat Al Youm. "It is the responsibility of the driver to look after everybody in the vehicle. It's similar to the role of a captain in an aircraft, the captain takes full responsibility for everyone onboard, and the same applies when we are driving a car," said Edelmann. Since July 1, 2017, UAE law has required all passengers — both in the front and back seats — to wear seat belts. The law also mandates that children be secured in age-appropriate restraint systems. Despite this, however, enforcement remains challenging, especially in the back seat, where many passengers continue to ignore the rules. Edelmann warned drivers not to overlook unsafe behaviour by their passengers. 'If there's misbehaviour of the passengers, of the people in our vehicles, the motorist needs to be fined. The person behind the wheel is responsible for setting the rules and making sure everybody follows them,' he explained. Life-saving protection Seat belts dramatically reduce the risk of injury or death in accidents. Edelmann noted that seat belts save lives in 40 to 60 per cent of crashes for adults, depending on the type of impact, and for children, proper restraints can prevent up to 80 per cent of fatalities or severe injuries. Edelmann pointed to several studies conducted by RoadSafetyUAE, revealing that around 20 per cent of drivers and front-seat passengers neglect to wear seat belts, while more than half of backseat passengers fail to buckle up. "In taxis, limousines, or even when friends give us a ride, it's common for adults to skip the seat belt in the back. This habit needs to change,' he said. Even more concerning, Edelmann said, is the lack of proper child safety. 'About 30 per cent of parents with children aged zero to four do not own child seats, which is required by law. And of those who do own child seats, around a third don't always use them properly,' Edelmann added. As the UAE continues its push for safer roads, experts are calling for greater public awareness and stricter enforcement to ensure all drivers and passengers follow the law. 'Ultimately, it's the driver who will be held accountable,' Edelmann stressed. 'That's why it's critical for motorists to take charge, remind their passengers, and make sure everyone is buckled up every trip every time.'
Al Etihad
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
More passengers per car could help reduce congestion, suggests a survey
17 July 2025 09:52 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI) More than half of car users in Abu Dhabi drive alone, a trend that could be contributing to the persistent traffic congestion reported across the emirates, according to a new survey conducted by RoadSafetyUAE in partnership with Al Wathba study, based on responses from 1,021 UAE residents in June 2025, found that 51% of Abu Dhabi motorists travel without any passengers. The figure is slightly higher for the UAE overall, at 54%, with Sharjah recording the highest solo-driver rate at 62%, followed by other emirates at 56%, and Dubai at 53%.Conversely, only 22% of car users in Abu Dhabi typically travel with one other passenger. This number varies across the country, reaching 25% in Dubai, 18% in other emirates, and a notably low 12% in Sharjah. The proportion of vehicles carrying a driver plus two passengers ranges between 15% and 17% across the findings highlight a clear opportunity for increasing car occupancy as a means to ease congestion. In Dubai, 43% of car users reported travelling with one or more passengers, the highest rate among all emirates. This compares to 39% in Abu Dhabi, 33% in other emirates, and just 28% in Sharjah.'Especially considering the high number of motorists travelling alone in their cars without passengers, we need to find ways to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads,' said Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE. 'From a road safety perspective, traffic congestion should be avoided. They trigger high levels of stress and frustration and can cause misbehaviour which carries the risk of accidents. We must raise awareness for polite and caring manners on the road.'The report suggests that legal carpooling could be a viable strategy to reduce the volume of vehicles. Encouraging people heading to the same destination to travel together in a single vehicle could significantly reduce congestion, although this could bring regulatory and logistical asked about carpooling services in the UAE, Thomas Edelmann, Founder of RoadSafetyUAE, told Aletihad that shared services are permitted in Dubai only through RTA-approved platforms or apps such as Sharekni. 'While many see it as a way to save money and reduce traffic, the RTA strictly regulates carpooling to ensure safety and to prevent unauthorised taxi services. Unlicensed carpooling can result in fines,' he also pointed out that the RTA offers app-based bus pooling services such as Citylink Shuttle, DrivenBus, and Fluxx Daily, providing an alternative form of shared added that while carpooling could offer benefits, it also carries risks. 'Carpooling is considered cautiously, as it might lead to the proliferation of illegal and unlicensed taxis, which would defeat the purpose and spirit behind regulated shared mobility initiatives,' Edelmann Raman, Chief Financial Officer of Al Wathba Insurance, said the study aimed to better understand motorists' concerns and travel patterns. 'We want to give the concerned traffic participants a voice. As one of the leading motor insurers in the UAE, we are committed to staying relevant to the evolving needs of our customers and improving their daily lives. That's why we teamed up with RoadSafetyUAE on this important research project,' he broader survey also shed light on the emotional and behavioural dimensions of road use in the UAE. A significant 47% of respondents reported feeling frustrated, stressed, or anxious when caught in traffic jams—highlighting the mental toll of daily congestion. More concerningly, 82% of motorists said they very often or sometimes witnessed rude or aggressive driving behaviour during such conditions, including tailgating, sudden lane changes, or verbal confrontations. The findings underscore the need for not just infrastructure solutions, but also public awareness campaigns to encourage courteous and patient driving habits. Meanwhile, the study reaffirmed the UAE's deep reliance on private transport, with 92% of respondents saying they depend on road transport daily, and 60% relying specifically on their own vehicles. These patterns further emphasise the urgency of exploring alternatives such as carpooling and improved public transport to ease road pressure and enhance commuter well-being.
The National
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The National
UAE traffic rises as 8 in 10 drivers face road rage, study finds
Road rage is an issue for drivers during traffic congestion in the UAE, according to a survey that found more than 80 per cent of motorists experienced regular aggressive behaviour. An in-depth report on driver behaviour, produced by Road Safety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance, looked at factors that contribute to how motorists respond to situations on the roads. Researchers asked 1,021 drivers in June about their road habits, with 86 per cent saying they were regularly caught up in congestion. Almost half of respondents (47 per cent) said they felt frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious when stuck in traffic jams. A further 82 per cent said they regularly witnessed rude or aggressive behaviour on the roads. 'For most, traffic congestion means high levels of stress and frustration,' said Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE. 'This can cause misbehaviour, which carries the risk of accidents, so from a road safety perspective, traffic congestion should be avoided." Motorists in the UAE "notice a lot of rude or aggressive behaviour in traffic jams and, hence, the awareness for polite and caring manners must be raised", he added. Criminal offence Road rage has become a catch-all term for poor behaviour from motorists. It is defined by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as cases when a driver commits moving traffic offences that endanger another person or property. In the US, about 66 per cent of traffic-related deaths result from aggressive driving, the administration said, with men under the age of 19 the most likely group to commit road rage. It is a common problem around the world, with Highways England in 2022 reporting 12.5 per cent of road casualties were caused by aggressive driving such as tailgating. Road rage is a criminal offence in the UAE, if it results in a crime such as causing an accident resulting in injury or death, or if a driver use offensive language or gestures. The latest UAE road survey also looked at how common congestion is and the reasons for it. It found 80 per cent of people experienced more traffic than in 2024 and more than half of respondents (54 per cent) were driving alone, rather than sharing lifts. 'The dependency on road transportation is extremely high in the UAE and we need to find ways to reduce this and, as a consequence, reduce the number of vehicles on the roads, especially, considering the high number of motorists travelling alone in their cars without passengers,' Mr Edelmann said. What is being done? Considerable improvements to road infrastructure are well under way across the country, to ease congestion in some of the UAE's most notorious choke-points. The Dh750 million ($204.2 million) Emirates Road development project is the latest initiative aimed at tackling on the thorny traffic issue. The two-year project is expected to get under way in September and will increase the number of lanes from three to five, connecting a 25km stretch of road between Al Badee Interchange in Sharjah to Umm Al Quwain. Once completed, it will allow a 65 per cent increase in capacity on the road to about 9,000 vehicles an hour. The project, launched by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, follows the Dh689 million Hessa Street expansion that began in 2023 and aims to cut travel times on one of Dubai's busiest roads, as well as the Umm Suqeim-Al Qudra road improvements that are more than 70 per cent complete. Positive driving culture A YouGov study of more than 1,000 drivers in February 2018 found that most (72 per cent) experienced a positive driving culture in the UAE. Of the drivers surveyed, 65 per cent said they were considerate on the roads and were happy to give way to other motorists. The most unfriendly acts on the roads in 2018 were sudden lane changes, drivers running late, speeding and bullying or aggressive behaviour such as tailgating. Muralikrishnan Raman, chief financial officer at Al Wathba Insurance, said it was important to understand the changing nature of road behaviour so positive changes could be made. 'Through this survey, we wanted to give concerned traffic participants a voice,' he said. 'We need to understand their feelings and perceptions with regards to the omnipresent traffic congestion, and also to understand how much they depend on road transportation.'
Khaleej Times
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
One driver, one car: How UAE's growing solo driving is making roads busier, more hostile
The increase in traffic congestion has not only contributed to 'higher levels of stress and frustration but also led to more rude or aggressive behavior on the road, which carries the risk of accidents.' The is the finding of the latest survey by RoadSafety UAE, commissioned by Al Wathba National Insurance, examining the emotional state and behavior of UAE motorists. In the survey, eight out of 10, or 82 per cent of the respondents said they have witnessed ' rude or aggressive behavior very often or sometimes' on the road. 'From a road safety perspective, traffic congestions should be avoided. UAE motorists notice a lot of rude or aggressive behavior in traffic jams and hence, the awareness for polite and caring manners must be raised,' noted Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE. Almost half of the respondents (47 per cent) feel frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious. 'These feelings are more pronounced among female and younger road users,' the survey noted. Only 29 per cent can deal with the traffic congestion 'as they state to be indifferent and used to it, or they stay calm and relaxed.' Moreover, 19 per cent state they feel bored or restless. Interestingly, however, a small minority of 5 per cent of the respondents even enjoy the downtime during traffic jams. The report is the second part of the survey conducted in June this year revealing the extent of road congestion. Nearly 90 per cent or 9 out of 10 motorists in Sharjah and Dubai said they typically experience traffic congestion. Around 80 per cent of respondents also noted they witnessed more traffic congestion this year than last year, with Dubai topping the list at 85 per cent. 'Unfortunately, only a small number of 18 per cent 'hardly ever' witness aggressive behavior, and in Dubai this number dips further to only 15 per cent. More than one-third of respondents 'very often' notice rude or aggressive behavior, and almost half of the respondents notice this 'occasionally', the survey reiterated. Crux of the problem Simply put, there so many cars on the road. The survey revealed the dependency on cars is very high, as 92 per cent of respondents state they depend daily on it by utilising their own car, bus, minibus or taxi services. 'Only 8 per cent use mass transportation by metro or alternative means like e-scooter, bicycle, eBike. Moreover, 60 per cent of respondents depend on daily transportation in their own car, which is the highest mention by far. Of the majority of road users taking their own car, more than half (54 per cent) travel alone in their car. In Sharjah, 62 per cent of motorists usually travel alone, 'which might be a contributing factor to the problem of daily traffic congestion,' the survey noted. What must be done? The survey underscored the need to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. 'One opportunity is to gradually increase the number of people per car.' 'In Dubai, 43 per cent of motorists usually carry one or two passengers. It would be interesting to understand the reasons for this and how other emirates and especially Sharjah can learn from it", the survey noted.
What's On
07-07-2025
- What's On
Dubai–Sharjah traffic woes: 9 in 10 commuters hit daily jams, study shows
If your morning commute lately has felt like a live test of patience, you're far from alone. A new UAE-wide study from RoadSafetyUAE and Al Wathba Insurance finds a staggering 91% of Dubai drivers and 90% in Sharjah regularly face traffic jams—and 80% say conditions have worsened compared to last year. The survey, conducted in June among 1,021 UAE residents, highlights the most-congested trips: morning and afternoon work hours, followed closely by school drop-off and pick-up times . The root causes? Over 65% blame sheer vehicle volume, while 54% and 48% attribute jams to synchronized office and school start times . Dubai authorities reported 3.5 million daytime vehicles in 2024, up 10% over the past two years , and experts warn that unless commuting habits change, residents face increasingly clogged roads. What's being done—and what you can do Authorities Are Listening Officials say the goal is to shift habits. 83% of respondents back measures like promoting remote work and expanding public transport — ideas echoed by Thomas Edelmann, founder of RoadSafetyUAE, who hopes to pivot the conversation from anecdote to informed change . Sharjah has already closed an arterial road this week for upgrades—which may ease some pressure during the works . Tips to avoid the gridlock • Change your timing – early or slightly later travel can avoid peak hours. • Try carpooling or ride-share – fewer cars, less stress on roads. • Explore public transport – metro, buses, or the upcoming Sharjah Metro network . • Embrace hybrid work – working from home even one day a week cuts congestion and stress. Summer's heat may be unavoidable, but gridlock doesn't have to be. With congestion only getting worse, it's time to rethink how—and when—you travel. A small shift in routine could mean smoother—and cooler—journeys ahead. > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
