45% of road accidents in UAE caused by young drivers

According to Ministry of Interior (MOI) data published earlier, 45 per cent of all road accidents UAE-wide have been caused by young drivers and even 63 per cent in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as well as 34 per cent of all road traffic fatalities. These data illustrate the vital importance of understanding the root causes of young driver behaviour and to address them accordingly. 
Although the official MOI figures refer to the broader age bracket of 18-30 years old drivers, we want to focus on the novice driver segment of 18-24 years. RoadSafetyUAE has conducted broad behaviour studies since 2015 giving us the opportunity to compare the behaviour of the young novice driver segment with the total driving population.
The problem is not a UAE specific one alone, as the UN mentions that the young novice driver segment is greatly overrepresented in crash and traffic fatality statistics. They pose a greater risk to themselves, their passengers and other road users. Death rates for 18-24 years old drivers typically remain more than double those of older drivers.
UAE's MOI stated, that the main causes for accidents within this age group are speeding, using phones behind the wheel and not keeping a safe distance between vehicles. Young drivers score worst in many dimensions of reckless driving when compared with older drivers, as our studies testify. It seems only with experience and when growing older, UAE's motorists adjust their behaviour and drive safer. Here are some selected data points linking young driver behaviour to the main causes of accidents on UAE roads:


Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director RoadSafetyUAE states: "Simply put, young drivers behave more dangerously and protect themselves less than older and more experienced motorists. Young drivers are significantly more distracted, tailgate more, use their indicators and their seat belts less than the average motorist. When probed for the reasons for their behaviour, some patterns crystalize: running late is a key ingredient both in speeding and tailgating. A lack of a caring attitude can be observed by statements like having less empathy for tailgated motorists, indicating less out of habit or not wanting to appear inexperienced, less demanding towards passengers and children to use their seat belts, which is coupled with a significantly lower level of knowledge about the new seat belt law."
Mark Jenkins, CEO, Al Ghandi Auto Group adds: "Our brands attract young drivers and hence we decided to support RoadSafetyUAE for the topic 'Young Driver', and we also acted on the vital element of seat belt use. Our role as an enterprise with pioneering social responsibility objectives led us to invest and introduce in the UAE the 'Seat Belt Convincer' as part of a nation-wide campaign called 'I am convinced'. We cooperate with corporations, universities and schools to deploy the seat belt convincer, in order to provide users with the tangible experience of how indispensable seat belt use is.