A new global survey has revealed that in UAE road accidents are more worried for residents than issues such as job losses, serious illnesses, or crime. According to the World Risk Poll 2024 conducted by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, 28% of respondents in the UAE cited road accidents as their primary safety concern.
Road Safety Tops the List of Concerns
Despite significant advancements in reducing traffic incidents, road safety remains a dominant issue for UAE residents. The survey highlighted that the fear of road accidents far outweighs economic risks, with only 13% of participants mentioning job losses as a concern. Health-related worries, including serious illnesses, were cited by 8%, while concerns about crime or violence affected just 5% of respondents. Minor health issues, such as exhaustion or accidental falls, concerned 4%.
Data and Expert Insights
The World Risk Poll, conducted through nearly 147,000 interviews across 142 countries by Gallup, sheds light on public perceptions of safety. “Driving is still erratic here. It’s the lack of road culture,” said Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of Road Safety UAE. He emphasized that road safety is a “daily concern” for residents.
The UAE has made notable progress in reducing traffic fatalities, with the number of road accident deaths decreasing significantly—from 1,072 in 2008 to 352 in 2023.
Climate Change Ranked Lower
The poll also found that while road safety is a primary concern, climate change is less worrisome for many UAE residents. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed—the third-highest proportion globally—expressed little concern about climate change, despite the region’s extreme temperatures.
Professor Michael Mason, Director of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics, suggested that the wealth and resources of Gulf nations may contribute to this perception, as these countries can often shield their populations from the direct impacts of climate change.
Regional Climate Change Warnings
A 2022 report by Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter indicated that the Middle East and North Africa are warming at double the global average, with temperatures rising by approximately 0.4°C per decade. Lorraine Whitmarsh, Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Bath, noted that concern for climate change in the Middle East “isn’t as high” as in other regions.
The findings underscore the unique challenges and perspectives within the UAE, where road safety continues to be a significant focus, and climate change remains a secondary issue for many residents.
