UAE traffic report: Sudden swerving caused over 1,000 crashes in 2025
Statistics released by the UAE Ministry of Interior on traffic accidents by cause for 2025 revealed that sudden swerving was the leading cause of road accidents, with 1,047 accidents recorded across the UAE. Distracted driving ranked second with 931 accidents, followed by failure to maintain a safe distance, which resulted in 849 accidents.
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Failure to adhere to lane discipline
The statistics also recorded:
332 accidents caused by failure to adhere to lane discipline
178 accidents due to driving under the influence of alcohol
102 accidents caused by speeding without considering road conditions
98 accidents resulting from reversing without ensuring the road was clear
66 accidents caused by failure to give way or grant priority
49 accidents linked to driving under the influence of narcotics or psychotropic substances
26 accidents caused by failure to comply with traffic signals
425 accidents resulting from entering a road without ensuring it was clear
The figures further showed that a total of 6,014 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, including:
4,085 vehicle collision accidents
1,102 run-over accidents
800 rollover accidents
27 other types of accidents
According to the statistics, 160 different causes were identified as contributing factors to traffic accidents. These include failure to give priority to pedestrians, reckless driving that endangers lives, unsafe overtaking, sudden stopping, distracted driving in any form, jumping red lights, sudden swerving, tyre blowouts, failure to maintain lane discipline, failure to leave sufficient distance, negligence and inattentiveness, and speeding without considering road conditions, among others.
Light vehicles top UAE road accidents
The Ministry’s statistics showed that light vehicles were the leading category involved in traffic accidents across the UAE last year, accounting for 3,834 accidents. Motorcycles ranked second with 1,224 accidents.
Heavy trucks ranked third, contributing to 325 accidents, followed by bicycles with 158 accidents. Heavy buses carrying 27 passengers or more ranked fifth with 131 accidents, while scooters came sixth with 120 accidents.
Light buses with fewer than 27 passengers recorded 115 accidents, electric bicycles were involved in 62 accidents, unidentified vehicle types accounted for 31 accidents, heavy mechanical equipment caused 13 accidents, and light mechanical equipment was involved in just one accident.
Sudden swerving remains the main cause
According to the Ministry of Interior’s open data statistics on traffic accidents by cause, sudden swerving ranked first with 1,074 accidents, followed by distracted driving in any form with 948 accidents. Failure to maintain a safe distance ranked third with 849 accidents, while negligence and lack of attention accounted for 661 accidents.
160 causes behind traffic accidents
Statistics on traffic accidents by type during the past year showed that 6,014 accidents occurred across the UAE, distributed as follows:
4,085 vehicle collisions
1,102 pedestrian run-over accidents
800 rollover accidents
27 other accidents
The Ministry identified 160 causes behind these accidents, including failure to give pedestrians priority, dangerous driving behaviour, unsafe overtaking, sudden stopping, distracted driving, running red lights, sudden swerving, tyre blowouts, failure to stay within lanes, insufficient following distance, negligence, lack of attention, and speeding without considering road conditions.
853,000 vehicles registered
Statistics from the UAE Ministry of Interior revealed that 853,411 vehicles were registered across the UAE in 2025.
Light vehicles topped the list with 706,300 registered vehicles nationwide. A total of 10 vehicle categories were registered, including motorcycles, light vehicles, heavy mechanical equipment, heavy trucks (3 tonnes), heavy buses carrying 27 passengers or more, unidentified categories, heavy trucks (12 tonnes or more), light buses (fewer than 27 passengers), heavy trucks under 12 tonnes, and light mechanical equipment.
Motorcycles rank second
Motorcycles ranked second in the number of registered vehicles, with 63,169 vehicles. Heavy mechanical equipment came third with 16,455 vehicles, followed by heavy trucks (3 tonnes) with 12,813 vehicles. Heavy buses carrying 27 passengers or more ranked fifth with 12,929 vehicles.
2025 statistics highlights
Sudden swerving was the leading cause of accidents with 1,047 cases
Distracted driving followed with 931 accidents
Failure to maintain a safe distance caused 849 accidents
Entering a road without ensuring it was clear caused 425 accidents
Total traffic accidents recorded: 6,014
Vehicle accident breakdown
Light vehicles recorded the highest number of accidents with 3,834 cases
Total accidents: 6,014
4,085 collisions
1,102 pedestrian run-over accidents
800 rollover accidents
Vehicle registration figures in 2025
A total of 853,411 vehicles were registered across the UAE:
Light vehicles: 706,300
Motorcycles: 63,169
Heavy mechanical equipment: 16,455
Heavy buses: 12,929
Heavy trucks (3 tonnes): 12,813
3.11 deaths per 100,000 residents
The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), affiliated with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport, confirmed that the total economic cost of minor and major traffic accidents across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi reached Dh5.2 billion last year, including material losses.
The figures were distributed between Dh4.4 billion in losses resulting from minor accidents and Dh794 million from major accidents. Meanwhile, the fatality rate stood at 3.11 deaths per 100,000 residents last year, compared to 3.41 deaths in 2024, marking a 46% decline since 2019.
Pedestrian accidents
Statistics released by the Integrated Transport Centre revealed that the percentage of pedestrian run-over accidents out of total accidents declined from 18% to 13% over the past three years, from 2023 to 2025.
The proportion of pedestrian fatalities and injuries out of the total fatalities and injuries resulting from traffic accidents also decreased from 13% to 11% during the same period.
Projects under the Pedestrian Safety Initiative
The Integrated Transport Centre announced that several projects have been implemented over the past two years under the Pedestrian Safety Initiative. Two pedestrian bridges were constructed in Al Sila and Al Mafraq, while work is currently underway on 24 additional pedestrian bridges.
The Centre also stated that four signal-controlled pedestrian crossings have been completed on Abu Dhabi Island, while 16 pedestrian crossings are currently being developed in Al Ain City.
In addition, plans are in place to implement 31 smart pedestrian crossings over the coming years.
