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10 killed in Dubai e-scooter, cycle accidents last year: Experts seek stricter rules, enforcement
They also pointed out that schools play an important role in incorporating safety habits, adding that 'this topic deserves an ongoing interaction with children, not seasonal discussions'
Road safety experts are calling for stricter use of e-scooters, including the creation of a federal entity that will act as a neutral oversight for all aspects related to soft mobility and road safety.
In February this year, two deaths were recorded in a span of three days involving two e-scooter riders who were both minors.
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A 15-year-old Indian student and badminton prodigy tragically passed away in an e-scooter incident near Al Nahda, close to Zulekha Hospital, on the evening of February 25. The young female athlete succumbed to injuries sustained in the road accident. Two days later, Sharjah Police reported a nine-year-old Arab boy who died in a collision with a vehicle while crossing the road on an electric scooter.
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By law, both minors were not allowed to use e-scooters on the road. In Dubai, the use of e-scooters is limited to individuals who are 16 years or older. A permit from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is also required, after passing the awareness training course available on RTA’s website. In Sharjah, only those who are 14 and above are allowed to ride e-scooters on the streets.
Last year, Dubai saw 254 accidents related to bicycles and e-scooters, resulting in 10 deaths and 259 injuries, including 17 severe injuries, 133 moderate injuries, and 109 minor injuries.
Moreover, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) have recently revealed that cases of road accidents and fatalities have increased across the UAE. A total of 384 road deaths were recorded in 2024, up by 32 cases or 9 per cent more compared to 352 fatalities in 2023. This is also 12 per cent higher or 41 more than the 343 recorded in 2022.
‘Where are the parents?’
“It is beyond comprehension what's happening with regards to e-scooters. It seems the population is not ripe for this kind of micro mobility,” Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, told Khaleej Times.
“Where are the parents? We see underage children with no helmet, no reflective vests, no lights, driving at their will on roads, against the flow of the traffic. We see two riders on board. We hardly see any child complying with the rules. Where are parents safeguarding their children?” he added.
Edelmann also pointed out schools must play an important role in promoting safety culture. “There should be a mandatory road safety curriculum. Yes, authorities hold awareness session in schools, but they cannot be everywhere and the topic deserves an ongoing interaction with children, not seasonal discussions," he suggested.
He also highlighted the need to start "a safety culture movement, where parents and schools must immediately focus on this. We need to equip, teach and protect our children relentlessly".
“Besides all these behavioural points, more and better infrastructure needs to be created. More dedicated lanes will help. More crossings for pedestrians and micro-mobility users must be created. Existing walk ways - where possible - should be made multi-use and marked properly,” he added.
Federal entity for road safety
Emirati road safety expert Dr Mustafa Aldah, meanwhile, suggested the creation of a federal entity for road safety.
He noted: “I think it is high time for transport safety to fall under one clear entity — with a very wide remit — that can coordinate the efforts of all the other entities involved. It can act as a neutral oversight body for anything that affects safety, since we are at a point where shortcomings in parental supervision or ability are contributing to the problem.
“When we as a society do not do more to address the issues we have, we are effectively saying that we accept the status quo, so we either accept it and stop complaining about it, or take action to stop it at every level,” Dr Aldah, who is also founder of MA-Traffic Consulting, underscored.
Sharing his personal view, Dr Aldah continued: “Traffic tragedies are not new. My first exposure to traffic tragedies was in secondary school (in the 1990s), when an 18-year-old student of our school died in a sports car accident, and we were all sent to the school mosque to perform funeral prayers for him. Traffic tragedies have afflicted many families.
“So, it was with a heavy heart that I received the news of the latest young fatalities — it was especially hard when the people involved were not even adults.
“Yes, major improvements have been made in most areas, and we have record low numbers of traffic fatalities when compared to other international cities and countries, but when something like this happens, it begs the question: Have we done enough?” he added.
Angel Tesorero
Angel Tesorero is Assistant Editor and designated funny guy in the newsroom, but dead serious about writing on transport, labour migration, and environmental issues. He is a food lover too.
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