Driving in Emirates – Recommendations, Tips and Tricks
Find Your Car in Emirates
21. If the car is involved in the accident, it must be removed from the roadway. In case you become the reason for a traffic jam, the police are likely to issue an additional fine.
22. In the period from 13:00 to 16:00, the majority of car parks are free. However, finding a free parking space can be difficult because during their lunch hour many locals visit cafes, restaurants and supermarkets.
23. Friday is traditionally the day with the heaviest traffic on the UAE roads. Many locals go shopping, to the beaches or visit relatives on the day off, so traffic jams can be easily found almost everywhere.
24. Do not "offend" local drivers as they are very vindictive. If they consider some driver too arrogant, they will never miss a chance to take him down a peg or two. They can easily stop right in front of your car, or will cut in front of you at the most unexpected moment.
25. Foreign drivers are recommended to be calm and determined on the roads of the UAE. Even a second long hesitation will result in a roar of honks, so you should always be focused and very attentive.
26. If there is a red marking along the road, it means that you cannot stop or park your car here. The violation of this rule is severely punished with a large fine. Even if you leave your car just for a couple of minutes, the emergency services will bring it to penalty parking.
Hints on Car Hire in Emirates
When choosing a car for your Emirates trip, don’t forget to check and compare the franchise amount (indicated in the rental conditions) for all cars considered in your selection. The franchise may vary from 200 to 2000 euro/dollars even for cars of the same class. A thorough comparison will allow you to choose the option with the lowest franchise.
During your booking, we will offer you to take a full coverage of the franchise ('No Risk' or 'No Excess' package). If you book a car without full coverage, it is recommended to take it at the pick-up time - this will substantially reduce your financial liability in Emirates for the whole rental period.
During your car pick-up in Emirates, do not forget to check what to do in breakdown-, accident- or theft-cases. Most of our offers include 'Breakdown Assistance' package. Besides this, every rental office would be happy to assist you with this package.
Prior to the car return, please check your voucher for the fuel conditions. If it is indicated that a driver shall return the car with a full tank, do not forget to refuel it on the way back, this will save you from additional charges at the rental office.
If you are looking for a car hire in Emirates, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual rental offers. Just use the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
27. The prices for petrol are relatively low in the UAE, but its quality is always very high. The cost of fuel differs slightly at petrol stations of different companies, so you can safely use the first petrol station on your way without any worries to overpay.
28. There are special workers at all petrol stations. They will fully service your car, so you do not even need to leave it. In addition to refueling, petrol station workers can clean the windshield and check the tire pressure. This service is provided free of charge.
29. Drivers should not forget some basic rules that apply in many countries. Do not talk on the cell phone while driving if you do not have a special headset. All the passengers must fasten seat belts.
30. If you pay attention to local drivers, it may seem that these basic rules are simply ignored by all of them. However, traffic violations are rarely left unpunished. It is also worth mentioning that if a passenger has not fastened his/her seat belt, the driver will pay the fine and not the passenger.
31. Driving under influence is considered one of the most serious traffic violations. In the UAE, drivers are completely prohibited to use alcohol. The fine for this violation can be several thousand dollars; the violator is also likely to be imprisoned for a period from several months to several years.
32. For the majority of local people car remains the only type of transport. In the UAE, buses are used by workers only, so in many cities the taxi remains the only alternative to private cars.
33. Savvy drivers should be especially careful in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This emirate is distinguished by the highest fines in the country.
34. You can find out a lot of information judging by the number of the car. The majority of cars on the roads of the country have registration numbers with four or five digits. These are ordinary residents, whose level of income allows them to have a car.
35. If the car has a three-digit registration number, this means that the owner is a representative of a noble family. Two-digit numbers are set on cars that belong to the Sheikh relatives. Finally, if there is only one digit on the car’s registration number, then this car belongs to the Sheikh himself.
36. Local drivers are very attentive to pedestrians. Pedestrians here are given way not only on specially designated crossings. If a driver does not give way to a pedestrian on the crossroads, the driver is likely to receive a large fine, and if an inattentive driver harms a pedestrian, the violator may be imprisoned.
37. While driving on the roads of the country, you will see a lot of cameras and radars almost everywhere. The number of them is equal to the number of warning signs «Warning! Road monitored by radar!». There are no hidden cameras on the roads of the UAE.
38. Local roads are distinguished by a very careful planning. You can drive on them several days and never see a road, where counter lanes are not separated by special dividing structures. The height of these dividing structures is usually no less than 70 cm. In the cities, there are many one-way roads.
39. This peculiarity of local roads has become so widespread that even entrances to houses and mansions are equipped with separating walls. Locals are really very concerned about their safety on the road.
40. Some major roads have special signs with various “road theme” slogans like «Road safety in safety belts».
41. In order to help drivers who move in different directions, there are numerous interchanges on local roads. In some cities interchanges are not even limited to two levels. Three-level interchanges have become as familiar as ordinary crossroads. Without a doubt, the construction of such interchanges is very expensive and requires much money. Moreover, it is not always very convenient to use them, but the main purpose of such facilities – is safety on the road.