E-Paper
Sign In
Green lights for ambulances, AI to predict crashes: How Abu Dhabi is reducing accidents
The updates were announced during Gulf Traffic Week, where authorities outlined road-safety initiatives showing measurable improvements in Abu Dhabi
- PUBLISHED: Mon 4 May 2026, 7:09 PM
Abu Dhabi has cut speed-related traffic accidents from 15 per cent to 9 per cent since 2019, while emergency vehicles in the emirate can now communicate directly with traffic lights and trigger green signals from up to 400 metres away under a new smart-response system, officials revealed on Monday.
The updates were shared during Gulf Traffic Week events, where authorities outlined a series of road-safety initiatives that they say are delivering measurable improvements across the emirate.
Recommended For You
Officials from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence said the new traffic-light priority system has already been installed on a large number of emergency vehicles, including ambulances, fire trucks and police patrols, with plans to eventually roll it out across the entire fleet.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels
“This system is installed on emergency vehicles, whether ambulances, fire engines, or even police patrols,” an official said during a media briefing.
“The system communicates with the traffic signal on the vehicle’s route from a range of 400 metres… and opens the route for the emergency vehicle.”
The official added that the technology was introduced last year and is designed to reduce response times without causing disruption or confusion for other road users.
Weather-responsive speed controls
Officials also revealed that a smart road-safety system introduced after a multi-vehicle fog collision involving 76 vehicles last year has helped cut weather-related crashes by 50 per cent.
The system automatically detects adverse road conditions such as fog, rain or dust, sends alerts to drivers, and lowers speed limits on affected road sections in real time.
“We implemented the system after studying the incident and looking for a fundamental solution,” an Abu Dhabi Police official said.
“It sends warnings to road users in affected areas, and speed limits are reduced automatically… accidents caused by weather conditions dropped by 50 per cent.”
Pedestrian safety improvements
Separate figures shared by the Integrated Transport Centre showed pedestrian safety has also improved over the past three years.
Pedestrian run-over accidents fell from 18 per cent of total accidents in 2023 to 13 per cent in 2025, while pedestrian deaths and injuries dropped from 13 per cent to 11 per cent.
To support this, authorities said two pedestrian bridges were completed in Al Sila and Al Mafraq, while work is under way on 24 more pedestrian bridges.
Four signal-controlled pedestrian crossings have also been completed on Abu Dhabi Island, with 16 crossings currently under construction in Al Ain and 31 smart crossings planned in coming years.
AI to predict accidents
Officials said Abu Dhabi is now moving towards predictive safety systems powered by artificial intelligence.
“We will develop programmes in artificial intelligence to predict where accidents are most likely to happen and create proactive plans to address them,” an official said.
Authorities added that Abu Dhabi has reduced road deaths by 73 per cent since 2011, with serious injuries down 18 per cent, placing the emirate first in the Middle East and North Africa region and eighth globally for lowest road fatality rates per 100,000 people.
The emirate is now targeting a place among the world’s top five safest jurisdictions for road safety by 2030.
