Edward Russell
One of the most important thing when living in another country, is to get to travel and explore the place. As much as traveling is concerned, having your own car and getting to drive is really a necessity especially when you live in a place like the UAE, where it becomes easier to go to work, school or any other places you’d like to go instead of having to commute, the worst is to walk.
However, in parallel to the opportunity of having your own car, there is much more responsibility that comes along with it that everyone still needs to know.
Driving in the UAE is much more different than other countries, that is why it’s important to know the ins and outs of driving here.
I don’t drive, but thanks to my dad who has been driving in the UAE for more than 20 years. All these facts & tips are part of the knowledge he had from being an experienced Safari Driver in the country.
About getting a driver’s license:
• Having an automatic license forbids you to drive a manual car, but if your license is manual, you can drive both manual and automatic cars.
• There are different driving licenses needed for driving a motorcycle, a 40 – seater bus, heavy vehicles and other categories.
• Safari Drivers get a special driving license which permits them to play along the sand dunes! Their extensive training makes them the expert drivers in town. Unlike the regular driving license which is renewable every 10 years, safari drivers need to renew their license every year.
• Student driving licenses are also to be renewed every year.
• Getting a driving license in the UAE is like obtaining a bachelor’s degree because of the difficulty all student drivers go through just to pass. Not to mention the big amount of money involved.
About owning or driving a car in the UAE:
• Owning a four wheel drive is an advantage in the UAE because there are quite a lot of deserted roads that you can’t avoid.
• In Dubai alone, you are allowed to own many cars and still register it in your name.
•If having your own car is not an option, renting a car is also considerable which comes in really handy and easy- going.
• In the UAE, modifying your car is only limited to changing its interiors, speakers etc, but redesigning it totally would go against the law.
• Sounds in the car must be limited so as not to disturb other drivers and commuters.
• For expatriates, tinting the car is only limited to 30%, but ladies are given the consideration and permitted to tint their cars until 50% as part of respect.
• Driving an SUV offers a bigger advantage than having sedan/ saloon cars.
• If capable, putting up an auto- garage is the number 1 business, being that cars are a big necessity in the country, and getting spare parts from famous brands are also easy.
Other things to know about driving in the UAE:
• During winter, it is very nice to drive, but during the summer season, it is important to check the tyres, AC and electrical wirings to avoid causing problems in the road.
• As long as you follow your lane, expect no violations. It is important to use your indicator and practice defensive driving. The only problem are those drivers who disobey the rules, cut the lines, tailgate and those who love to flash their lights whenever they’re behind you. It’s better to watch out for those who do that and extend your patience towards them.
• Taxi drivers in Dubai are trained to speak in English compared to the rest of the emirates, therefore making it easier to communicate with their passengers. Some drivers who can’t speak English causes a language barrier and misunderstanding between the passengers, especially when taking instructions regarding the place the passengers want to go. Also, some drivers are quite irritating when they keep on horning just after the green light went on even when they’re still on the 6th or 7th cue. I guess, it’s important to educate all the drivers and teach them to value the importance of patience while driving.
• Old or long time drivers in the UAE are mostly used to referring to places by landmarks not by street names because using street names can really be confusing, take for example the numerous Al Qasimi streets in Sharjah which in itself confuses many.
• There will always be some people who don’t abide by the traffic law. And no matter how careful you are, you still get affected by those who doesn’t care about violations because they think that they can easily make up for anything that involves money. However, lives of the people on the road must be the number 1 reason to exercise safe driving.
Meanwhile, here is the latest report about the alarming road deaths in Dubai, mainly caused by unsafe and reckless driving:
A sharp increase in deaths on Dubai’s roads has been recorded in the first half of this year with 82 killed compared to 49 in the corresponding period of 2012, police say. Statistics released on Thursday show 1,179 people were injured in 1,351 crashes compared to 1,243 people in 1,432 incidents last year.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police Traffic Department, said from the 187 incidents involving pedestrians being run over, 24 were killed and 189 were injured, 27 of them seriously. Five of the incidents occurred in Dubai Marina.
Major General Al Zafein broke down the statistics depending on the experience of the driver, with the results below:
• Those in their first year of driving caused 86 crashes, injuring 139 and killing four.
• Drivers with a year or more of experience caused 68 incidents, injuring 105 and killing ten.
• 78 crashes were caused by drivers with two-year-old licences, injuring 110 and killing six.
• Those with three years of experience caused 89 incidents, injuring 136 and killing 12.
• Drivers with four years of experience caused 73 crashes, injuring 107 and killing four.
• Just 18 crashes were caused by drivers with 10-year-old licences, injuring 31 and killing none.
• 11 crashes injuring 17 people were caused by drivers with 14 years of experience.
• Bucking the trend, drivers with 16 years of experience caused 65 incidents, injuring 91 and killing 11.
• 23 crashes injuring 29 people and killing three were caused by drivers without licences.
• Cyclists caused 11 incidents, injuring 11 and killing two.
The statistics also broke down the deaths by road:
• 11 people died in crashes on Emirates Road including five drivers, five passengers and one pedestrian.
• Mohammad Bin Zayed Road saw 10 people die so far this year, including six drivers and four passengers.
• Crashes on Shaikh Zayed Road led to six deaths including three drivers, one passenger and two pedestrians.
• Four people died in separate crashes on Al Wasl Road, while three died in two incidents in the Al Quoz industrial area. Three were killed on the Dubai-Al Ain road.
• Two fatal crashes took place on each of Hessa Street, Al Aweer, Shaikh Rashid road and Al Khail Road.
• One fatal crash took place on each one of Cario road, Al Warqa, Al Saqer intersection, Al Muhaisna 2, Al Garhoud, Hor Al Anz, and Dubai Marina. Thirteen people also died in accidents in Al Quoz, Al Khawneej and Dubai Healthcare City.
(Source: www.gulfnews.com)
In the UAE, there are a lot of cars that we don’t get to see in other places which usually amazes us and makes us wish we own one. But in the long run, what matters the most is the chance to be able to drive and move out and about in the country easily, no matter what car it is you are driving. (As long as it is working and safe to use.) If safety is the priority, we can always be sure that we can make the most out of every opportunity given us. This is not only applicable in the UAE, but also in other places.
