A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
The UAE's continued population and economic growth brought more drivers and vehicles onto the roads in 2025, making safe driving habits an increasingly important part of daily mobility.
According to a RoadSafetyUAE analysis of Ministry of Interior data, 558,191 new driving licences were issued in 2025, up from 504,377 in 2024. New vehicle registrations also rose to 853,411, compared with 779,276 a year earlier.
As road use expanded, the number of major accidents rose 23% to 6,014 cases in 2025, while the number of people injured or killed increased 20% to 7,947. According to the findings, newly licensed drivers were involved in 885 major accidents in 2025, accounting for 15% of all major accidents, compared with 11% in 2024.
The analysis identified four major violations that together accounted for almost 60% of all serious accidents in 2025.
Sudden deviation was linked to 1,074 accidents (18%), followed by distracted driving with 939 accidents (16%), tailgating with 849 accidents (14%), and negligence and inattention with 661 accidents (11%).
Other causes included entering roads without checking they were clear, failure to respect other road users, lane-discipline violations, and running red lights.
The analysis also showed a rise in accidents involving motorcycles, bicycles, e-scooters, and electric bikes.
Motorcycle-related accidents increased 39% year-on-year to 1,224 cases in 2025, while bicycle accidents rose 76% to 158 cases. E-scooter accidents nearly doubled to 120 cases, up 97% from 2024, while electric-bike accidents increased 29% to 62 cases.
Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE, stressed that distracted driving linked to mobile phone use remained a major concern among all groups.
"Research from around the world, including the UAE, consistently shows that distracted driving caused by mobile phone use is one of the leading causes of road accidents and fatalities," he told Aletihad.
Edelmann pointed out that advanced technologies available to telecom operators and regulators could support future awareness efforts by using movement and phone-usage data to discourage mobile phone use while driving and promote safer road behaviour.