Driving anywhere in the Middle East can be a very interesting experience for travellers not used to such behaviour, but it does go to a new extreme in the UAE. You may well be forgiven for thinking that driving lessons in the UAE primarily consist of watching Mad Max and Death Race 2000, and the statistics certainly reflect this. The UAE has the highest rate of road fatalities in the Middle East and one of the highest in the entire world, with road fatalities being a leading cause of death.
(Maybe drivers are too busy looking at the spectacular views?)
Driver behaviour in the UAE generally will add a lot of evidence you may have regarding the Death Race 2000 school of driving, with drivers typically engaging in all manner of extremely unsafe driving practices such as cutting in front of moving cars, changing lanes without indicating, speeding onto roundabouts at ludicrous speeds and then for extra fun, trying to exit from the inside lane.
A good thing to keep in mind is to pretend that every other driver isn’t aware that any other cars exist, or if they do it’s only a vague concept to worry about like a piece of paper on the road. Do not at any point expect any of the things you may be used to in western countries like indicating at any point, obeying the speed limit or drivers having any regard for their own personal safety or anyone else’s.
Speeding Beemers & Wandering Camels
On the intercity roads, things get a little bit more drastic. While you don’t have to worry about roundabouts, be aware that the inner lane is the one reserved for speeding luxury cars, and speeds of over 200kmh are not uncommon. At that speed, it is hard to break in time (assuming they bother) approaching a car doing a paltry 140kmh.
As an added bonus, intercity highways have unmarked speed bumps, shifting sands and sometimes….camels. Yes. Seriously. Camels.
If you plan on driving in the desert, camels become a bigger problem. You should make sure that you have a well maintained four wheel drive vehicle, adequate water, and a mobile phone with sufficient reception if you do plan on driving in the desert.
Pedestrians should take great care in the UAE as 25% of road fatalities are pedestrians. A pedestrian crossing is no guarantee that a driver will slow down, nor is a pedestrian on the road a guarantee that a driver will change their course or speed at all. Think what you read above about drivers in the UAE not really being aware that other cars exist, and double that theory for pedestrians.
Despite all of this (or perhaps because of this) road laws in the UAE are quite comprehensive. If you are involved in an accident you must leave the vehicle exactly where it is, even if that’s in the middle of the road. Dubai is an exception, where intense traffic means that this would be a major road hazard.
If someone is injured in an accident, the person that caused the accident goes immediately to jail until the injured person is out of hospital. Should someone die in an accident, the person that caused the accident is liable for a US $55,000 dollar fine, called “Dhiyya” as compensation for the death.
Even minor accidents can involve lengthy litigation where the drivers are prevented from leaving the country, so be very careful when and how you drive, even if no one else is.
Road rage, even minor expressions of it such as rude gestures and swearing, actually can attract significant penalties. So be careful to remain calm at all times….even if you get the feeling that you’re in Death Race 2000.
Digital cameras for registering traffic violations are very common on UAE roads, which you may find strange considering the general state of traffic, but nonetheless they are there. Primarily they are for speeding, but they also register other traffic violations.
Oddly, you cannot turn right at a red light unless there is a yield sign, which makes you wonder why they don’t put a “Do not exit from inside lane on roundabout” sign up somewhere as well. Parking is prohibited where the curb is painted yellow and black and the use of front seat belts is mandatory.
Zero Tolerance
The UAE has a zero limit for intoxication, and the penalties for driving under the influence of any alcohol at all can be severe (remember it's a Muslim country). People arrested for drink driving are generally sent to jail for many days while awaiting a court hearing, and are then subject to heavy fines, possible imprisonment, and for Muslims, even those of non-UAE origin, actual lashings. That’s lashings in the corporal punishment sense of the word, not in the “they give you lashings of cake” sense of the word.
Related Articles
Crime in the United Arab Emirates
Driving in the United Arab Emirates - Do you dare?
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