Sharjah leads UAE road safety index while Dubai tops driver training

Sharjah has recorded the UAE's lowest road fatality rate, while Dubai leads the country in driver training and education, according to a study comparing road safety and driving standards across all seven emirates.

The UAE Best Driver Index was compiled by Bin Yaber Driving Institute.

What did the UAE Best Driver Index find?

The index assessed the emirates using indicators covering road safety, driver education and driving behavior, including traffic fatalities, hit-and-run incidents, average driving speeds, driving-school numbers and online ratings.

Sharjah topped the road safety category, Abu Dhabi scored best on driving behavior, and Dubai led on driver training and education.

Why did Sharjah rank first for road safety?

Sharjah recorded 1.78 road deaths per 100,000 residents, the lowest rate among the emirates. It also had the lowest hit-and-run rate, at 5.33 cases per 100,000 residents, with 96 cases recorded overall, compared with 223 in Abu Dhabi and 378 in Dubai.

The emirate's average driving speed was 31.6 kmph, and road safety accounted for 45% of the index, the largest component, helping Sharjah rank strongly in the overall safety assessment.

How did Abu Dhabi score on driving behavior?

Abu Dhabi performed strongly in the driving-behavior category, recording the UAE's lowest average driving speed at 28.3 kmph, compared with 31.6 kmph in Sharjah and 32.1 kmph in Dubai. The capital also recorded 3.25 road deaths and 5.88 hit-and-run cases per 100,000 residents.

Researchers linked Abu Dhabi's lower average speed to traffic-management measures, including its zero-buffer policy on speed limits and variable speed limits on some roads depending on road conditions.

Why does Dubai lead on driver education?

Dubai ranked strongest for driver training and education, with 94 driving schools, well ahead of Sharjah's 56 and Abu Dhabi's 30. The study analyzed 50,818 Google reviews of Dubai driving schools, which had an average rating of 4.58. Driver education accounted for 30% of the overall index and was assessed using the number of schools, their ratings and the volume of online reviews.

How did the other emirates perform?

Ajman had the UAE's second-lowest fatality rate, at 2.18 deaths per 100,000 residents, while its driving schools received the highest average rating, at 4.73. Fujairah recorded the highest average driving speed at 38.1 kmph, followed by Ajman at 37.9 kmph and Ras Al Khaimah at 36.2 kmph.

The researchers cautioned that figures for smaller emirates should be interpreted carefully, as relatively few incidents can have a significant effect on rates calculated per 100,000 residents.

The index assessed seven indicators spanning road safety, driver education, driving behavior and interest in driving-test-related searches. Some road safety and speed data were based on 2024 figures, while driving-school information was sourced from Google Maps.