Are men better drivers than women? Are roads safer now than they were five years ago? The answer to both questions is “No.”

A UAE safety survey indicated that 77 percent of people believe that there are more reckless motorists on UAE roads now than there were five years ago.

Of more than 1,000 UAE drivers, 35 percent of men have been involved in collisions while 27 percent women were involved in road accidents.

The road safety statistics in the UAE leave a huge margin for improvement.

In the first eight months of 2014, there were 3,170 accidents on UAE roads, which resulted in the injury of 4,602 people and 463 deaths, according to data from the UAE’s Ministry of Interior.

More than two-thirds of respondents believe that the biggest cause of road accidents in the UAE is speeding (68 percent), followed by tailgating (56 percent) and drivers being distracted instead of fully focused on the road (47 percent).

Other causes include frequent lane changes and driving in the wrong lane.

However, younger drivers discount speeding as a significant cause of accidents which means they do not fully appreciate the risks of driving too fast.

Commenting on the results of the research, Brian Reilly, CEO of Zurich Insurance Middle East, said: “The number of UAE residents that have been involved in a traffic collision is very concerning and unfortunately this supports the belief that there are more reckless drivers on UAE roads than five years ago. What is particularly worrying is the high proportion of young drivers who have had an accident despite the short timeframe they have been behind the wheel. Both speed and tailgating are verified causes of road accidents and we would encourage all road users to drive at a suitable speed and maintain a safe distance from other cars.”

A road safety expert added that a cultural shift is needed in driving attitudes to ensure motorists take responsibility for their own behavior.

He said that taking unnecessary risks and driving carelessly are major causes of crashes.

He calls for change of attitude to driving so that motorists have a new mindset to become more patient, considerate and aware of the risks.

There is a campaign going on with a pledge “Make UAE Roads Safer!” and UAE drivers are advised to consider driving with a new mentality.

This applies to other GCC countries too.

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* Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist, based in London.

Email: [email protected]