Risk-taking behaviour in road traffic accidents

In United Arab Emirates (UAE), with its rapid expansion of road construction and increase in the number of vehicles, road traffic accidents are becoming an increasingly serious public health problem. These constitute the second major cause of mortality after cardiovascular diseases in UAE. This paper describes the magnitude of this problem and studies some aspects of road user behaviour in UAE. Road injuries, besides being a major health hazard lead to a high rate of morbidity, impact on the victims, their families, and the nation as a whole. The magnitude of the problem could be greatly reduced if appropriate measures were taken concerning road user behaviour. Some factors which influence driver behaviour are presented and discussed.