Over four in five (82%) of respondents to a road safety survey in the UAE say they regularly witness rude or aggressive behaviour on the road.
The results of the survey, commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and Al Wathba Insurance, also show that 86% of respondents say they typically experience traffic congestion. The highest percentages are seen in Dubai with 91% and Sharjah with 90%. In addition, 80% of respondents witnessed more traffic congestion this year than last year, with Dubai topping the list with 85%.
Other findings of the survey include:
- The top three types of trips where congestion is observed: afternoon work commute, morning work commute and morning school runs
- The top three reasons for congestion: too many vehicles on the roads, office start times, school start times
- The top three solutions: public transportation, working from home, expand road capacity
The study was conducted by an international online research agency with a sample size of 1,021 in the UAE in June 2025.
Frustration
Almost half of the respondents (47%) feel frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious. “These feelings are more pronounced among female and younger road users,” the survey noted.
Only 29% can deal with the traffic congestion, saying that they are indifferent and used to it, or that they stay calm and relaxed.
Moreover, 19% state that they feel bored or restless. However, a small minority of 5% of the respondents even enjoy the downtime during traffic jams.
Mr Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE said, “In this latest study which we commissioned jointly with our CSR-partner Al Wathba National Insurance, we want to provide input to the concerned authorities and stakeholders to understand the public perception about traffic congestion, how they see the reasons for it and on which areas they would focus to improve the situation.”
The survey also reveals that the dependency on cars is very high, as 92% of respondents state they depend daily on it by utilising their own car, bus, minibus or taxi services. Only 8% use mass transportation by metro or alternative means like e-scooter, bicycle or e-bike.