One driver, one car: How UAE's growing solo driving is making roads busier, more hostile

Khaleej Times

15-07-2025

The increase in traffic congestion has not only contributed to 'higher levels of stress and frustration but also led to more rude or aggressive behavior on the road, which carries the risk of accidents.'
The is the finding of the latest survey by RoadSafety UAE, commissioned by Al Wathba National Insurance, examining the emotional state and behavior of UAE motorists.
In the survey, eight out of 10, or 82 per cent of the respondents said they have witnessed ' rude or aggressive behavior very often or sometimes' on the road.
'From a road safety perspective, traffic congestions should be avoided. UAE motorists notice a lot of rude or aggressive behavior in traffic jams and hence, the awareness for polite and caring manners must be raised,' noted Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE.
Almost half of the respondents (47 per cent) feel frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious. 'These feelings are more pronounced among female and younger road users,' the survey noted.
Only 29 per cent can deal with the traffic congestion 'as they state to be indifferent and used to it, or they stay calm and relaxed.'
Moreover, 19 per cent state they feel bored or restless. Interestingly, however, a small minority of 5 per cent of the respondents even enjoy the downtime during traffic jams.
The report is the second part of the survey conducted in June this year revealing the extent of road congestion.
Nearly 90 per cent or 9 out of 10 motorists in Sharjah and Dubai said they typically experience traffic congestion. Around 80 per cent of respondents also noted they witnessed more traffic congestion this year than last year, with Dubai topping the list at 85 per cent.
'Unfortunately, only a small number of 18 per cent 'hardly ever' witness aggressive behavior, and in Dubai this number dips further to only 15 per cent. More than one-third of respondents 'very often' notice rude or aggressive behavior, and almost half of the respondents notice this 'occasionally', the survey reiterated.
Crux of the problem
Simply put, there so many cars on the road. The survey revealed the dependency on cars is very high, as 92 per cent of respondents state they depend daily on it by utilising their own car, bus, minibus or taxi services.
'Only 8 per cent use mass transportation by metro or alternative means like e-scooter, bicycle, eBike.
Moreover, 60 per cent of respondents depend on daily transportation in their own car, which is the highest mention by far.
Of the majority of road users taking their own car, more than half (54 per cent) travel alone in their car. In Sharjah, 62 per cent of motorists usually travel alone, 'which might be a contributing factor to the problem of daily traffic congestion,' the survey noted.
What must be done?
The survey underscored the need to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. 'One opportunity is to gradually increase the number of people per car.'
'In Dubai, 43 per cent of motorists usually carry one or two passengers. It would be interesting to understand the reasons for this and how other emirates and especially Sharjah can learn from it", the survey noted.