Characterization of road crashes in the emirate of Abu Dhabi

Road crashes have historically plagued the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Unfortunately, vehicle crash studies conducted in the GCC region have been scarce, making it difficult for decision-makers and researchers to assess the magnitude of the road safety problem regionally and to tackle it effectively. In the present study, the authors investigate the contributing factors to increased road crash severity based on collisions having occurred between 2012 and 2017 in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study may be relevant not only to the UAE, but also to other GCC countries due to their similarities in road design, vehicle fleet, and driving culture. The study finds that 1.26 million crashes, 9,327 injuries, and 1,305 fatalities occurred during the period covered. Road crashes were more likely to produce severe and fatal injuries when collisions occurred between 22:00 and 5:59 o’clock, occurred under adverse weather conditions, involved pedestrians or drunk drivers, occurred on higher-speed-limit highways, as well as when drivers were male, minors, and/or Emiratis. UAE nationals were found to be very overrepresented both in terms of the total number of crashes and number of severe/fatal crashes. In addition, tailgating and reckless driving were the main reasons for crashes in an overwhelming 50 percent of the incidents. More than half of all injured people were not wearing a seat belt. Finally, the authors provide data-driven recommendations to improve road safety in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.