Thrilling driving experiences like that of the world’s longest urban drift track or a desert safari in a sports or SUV would fascinate you. Besides, renowned attractions like Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah, which are prime reasons for visiting, are situated and visible from the roadside. These and a huge network of contemporary infrastructure like well-maintained roads and highways offer smooth yet intriguing driving experiences.
Moreover, the city administration has created a well-developed traffic system with well-developed infrastructure, ensuring stringent traffic rules and drivers following them. While you can couple it up with high-end luxury cars as fuel charges are affordable yet you must know the common tourist driving mistakes Dubai. Accordingly, you can avoid them to save yourself from fines.
Dubai has a well-developed road network, though being tax-free. Like every other city and country, it has traffic rules that tourists must understand and avoid.
Following is a list of the same:
For ease, Dubai, across its streets, roads, and highways, has installed road sign boards to offer ease of understanding. By recognizing those road signs, tourists can travel hassle-free. Yet, most of you would avoid it, considering them unimportant, which causes heavy fines.
The road signs are for a group of reasons, including:
As many of you can interpret, these contain crucial information, and not following them can lead to severe accidents. So, the Dubai traffic control ensures that everyone follows them carefully. Some signs even indicate the speed limits to follow on the particular road. Even in the case of an empty road, they don’t permit you to go beyond those speed limits.
Therefore, as a precautionary measure, you must understand the road traffic signs a day before you plan to drive for a hassle-free experience. Also, as a first-time driver in Dubai, you might struggle with driving, and hence, Automatic Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Monitoring features in luxury sports cars and SUVs help.
Like many other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and a major region of Europe, Dubai has adopted a right-hand drive system. This happened in 1996 when oil was discovered across the region, increasing the region’s trade and economy. As a result, American cars were introduced in the country with steering wheels on the left.
Thus, drivers can see better on the right side of the road, which helps them to drive safely. Besides, a right-hand drive system aligns all the traffic to that side of the road, reducing the risk of head-on collisions.
Tailgating is the most common type of revenge/rash driving that most people engage in. Of anger and hurry, drivers, mainly tourists, are too close to the back of the next vehicle.
So, if the next vehicle applies sudden brakes or anything similar, rear-end collisions can occur. Therefore, tailgating is prohibited in Dubai, and tourists must avoid it for safety.
Luxury cars like Lamborghini also have features like adaptive cruise control, which detects surrounding vehicles and safely adjusts their speed to avoid accidents in compliance with traffic laws.
Tailgating is risky for the following reasons:
To discourage tailgating, Dubai has a fine of AED 400 for both tourists and locals.
Changing lanes is not illegal in Dubai. However, as a tourist, you must observe discipline while doing so.
Therefore, you must:
Besides, it is noteworthy never to change lanes between solid lane lines but only between incomplete ones. Also, check for distractions on the road and observe discipline. Let the fast drivers go ahead instead of indulging in road rage. Plus, mid-range and exotic cars have advanced features like Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Departure Warning that let you maintain discipline, thus avoiding fines.
Changing lanes harshly and without complying with the regulations accounts for AED 1000 as a fine.
Unlike other Asian countries, overtaking on the right is illegal in Dubai. The city has a right-hand drive system, so all the traffic flow is in this direction. Hence, it’s a cause of side-swipe accidents and against federal traffic laws. Therefore, smoothly overtaking on the left is always required, but execute only if feasible.
Moving towards the right smoothly is further important if any fast-moving vehicle approaches from the rear side. Also, ensure that all your actions comply with the traffic signs on that particular road. If the road is narrow, avoid overtaking.
Understanding the vitality of how overtaking on the right can cause accidents, the Dubai traffic rules lead to an AED 1000 fine with 6 black points.
Traveling to Dubai as a foreigner is expensive, yet the city’s tax-free nature makes it an asset. For commuting, you might look for car rentals that save costs by allowing you to explore the city as desired. Yet, driving mistakes can lead to heavy fines, disturbing your overall budget.
Follow the approaches given below to avoid tourist driving mistakes Dubai:
Dubai has iconic destinations with a rich yet sophisticated blend of culture and well-developed infrastructure. These, all with trade potential, offer you a lot on your visit to Dubai, whether for personal or professional reasons. Driving in this luxurious city smoothly gives you a heavenly feel, yet not following traffic rules would spoil your experience.
While we understand that adapting to the federal system would take time, it is stringent and keen to avoid potential damages, indiscipline, and accidents. Therefore, choosing an affordable luxury car rental has advanced features in cars with flexible plans to let you drive smoothly without violations.
Plus, heads-up display minimizes distractions, and some even demonstrate the traffic rules of the region. Thus, it will save you money, providing a memorable experience.
Phantom Rent a Car are experts in high-quality luxury cars combined with expert service. We help turn your dreams into a reality by providing you with the largest fleet of luxury hire cars to choose from. Our luxury cars allow you to explore everything that Dubai has to offer in style, immersing yourself in the culture, elegance and sophistication of the region.