Road Traffic Collisions in the UAE

Road traffic collisions (RTCs) are a global health and economic problem that necessitate worldwide organizations to actively address them. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the rapid economic growth during the last five decades was associated with an extensive modern road network, contributing to the increasing number of road users. A variety of transportation methods emerged to cover inhabitants with different socioeconomic statuses. This was associated with the increased burden of RTCs in the UAE, ranking as the seventh cause of death and the fifth cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALY). On the other hand, the tremendous improvements in road safety, injury prevention, health services, and education in the last two decades have reduced the rates of deaths and DALYs in the UAE. The unique nature and characteristics of RTCs in the UAE and efforts to reduce them, as documented by the published research of the Trauma Group of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, which was conducted during the last two decades, are summarized in this chapter. This collective summary addresses the different aspects of the problem and the effects of a multidisciplinary approach in the improvement of the quality of health care through the establishment of a trauma system.