Motorists believe that cases of tailgating are increasing on the country’s roads despite continuous calls against the dangerous behaviour, a survey has shown.
According to the UAE Road Safety Monitor survey, conducted by YouGov recently, 69% of respondents said that they had observed more tailgating within the last six months — an increase from 64% from the previous six months. However, statistics from Dubai Police show cases of tailgating remained the same.
The perception of dangerous driving is stable, with 55% of respondents stating the same. However, respondents felt that distracted driving, abrupt changing of lanes and speeding have declined.
The survey, which is commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and Qatar Insurance Company, is conducted every six months, and results are based on the views of more than 1,000 UAE residents. The latest poll is the third cycle in the series.
Mr Thomas Edelmann, the founder of RoadSafetyUAE, said that the accumulated data help form comprehensive conclusions. “We are now in the position to start identifying trends of the perceived behaviour of UAE motorists, and not only snap shots,” he said.
Of the 1,472 traffic incidents that took place in Dubai in the first half of this year, 286 were a result of tailgating, said Brig Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the General Department of Traffic. Twenty-one people were killed in such incidents and more than 250 injured.
In comparison, in the first half of 2015, Dubai Police recorded 1,526 traffic incidents, of which 277 were a result of tailgating. During the period, 17 people were killed and 185 injured.
“Tailgating was and remains one of the top causes of traffic accidents and, despite continuous awareness campaigns, some people still engage in such dangerous behaviour,” said Brig Al Mazrouei.