Determinants of Speeding Behavior of Drivers in Al Ain (United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

Speeding behavior is a complex problem that requires a full understanding of drivers’ attitudes and beliefs. Such understanding could lead to effective design and robust interventions to improve the speeding behavior of drivers. In this article, the attitudes and beliefs of a sample of 402 drivers from Al Ain are analyzed using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior as a reference. Al Ain is the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates, located about 120 km from Dubai. A multiple regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between self-reported speeding behavior and the drivers’ attitudes and beliefs. The results indicated a significant association between the attitudes and beliefs and self-reported speeding behavior. The attitudes and beliefs were also explored in the context of the demographic characteristics of the drivers. This study recommends strengthening law enforcement by particularly increasing police patrols and introducing tougher speeding fines in Al Ain to reduce excessive speeding. Other alternatives such as awareness campaigns for building drivers’ awareness might yield long-term positive influence on driver attitudes and beliefs about speeding. However, these alternatives would take time, and, without the presence of tighter speed controls through law enforcement, such awareness campaigns may not be very effective.