Car accidents in UAE most likely to happen between 1pm and 5pm

Oman Insurance study found most crashes did not occur during rush hour

UAE police forces handed out 8.7 million fines for speeding offences last year. Reem Mohammed / The National

Car accidents are most likely to occur on UAE roads between 1pm and 5pm, said a leading insurer.

A study conducted by Oman Insurance, which collated two years of their claim data, said motorists increased their risk of being involved in a road incident by 20 per cent during the afternoon.

The highest number of claims was recorded on Sundays and Thursdays.

On Fridays, the most number of accidents were documented between 7pm and 9pm.

“Traditionally, these insights are generated by insurers to understand accident patterns and define price,” said Julien Audrerie of Oman Insurance.

“The key insight here is don’t take your eyes off the road, especially during the afternoon.”

The study also revealed the safest time to drive was between 1am and 5am, due to limited traffic on the roads.

The study's authors did not state why there were so many accidents on weekday afternoons, but the end of school rush would be a likely factor.

Intense brightness and heat during the hottest part of the day, which usually falls between 12pm to 3pm, could also have resulted in motorists losing focus.

Depending on age and year group, children usually finish school between 12pm and 3.30pm, which often leads to congestion around school pick-up zones.

Accidents were slightly more frequent at the start and end of the working week, as drivers raced home to start the weekend.

Last year, a survey by YouGov revealed that one in five drivers were involved in a road accident in the UAE between April and September.

Of the 1,000 motorists surveyed, the majority said driving in the Emirates was becoming more dangerous, with speeding, tailgating and sudden lane changing a growing cause for concern.

Over the past few years, authorities across the country have introduced a number of fines to deter road users from driving dangerously.

More than 8.7 million fines were issued to road users last year for speeding, and about 55,000 were caught trying to jump red lights, a report by the Ministry of Interior stated.

From January to June of this year, Dubai Police issued 12,754 fines to motorists for using mobile phones while behind the wheel.

The fine for using a mobile phone while driving in Dubai is Dh800, in addition to four black points.

In Abu Dhabi, it was recently announced that drivers would have to pay fines of up to Dh50,000 to get their cars released for serious traffic offences.

Those found participating in illegal street racing were also warned of similar fines.