It doesn’t matter if you’ve been living in our great city five days or five years, there’s one thing everyone talks about: driving on our roads. It’s fair to say getting a cab or driving through our streets can be quite eventful and with such a mixed and varied expat community from all over the world living here, it’s perhaps not surprising that even the Abu Dhabi Government admits on their official website that the nation’s capital has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world. And the main cause of car accidents is speeding and reckless driving.
The good news is things are improving. Traffic-related deaths in Abu Dhabi fell from 376 in 2010 to 334 in 2011, according to police, and 12 traffic awareness programmes, 331 awareness lectures and 30 traffic exhibitions have certainly helped.
So are you driving around the UAE this forthcoming Eid? If so, what do you need to do to make sure you don’t become a statistic? Or how will you make sure you don’t have some nasty fines to pay when you get back? Here’s our definitive guide to driving around the city.
Can I use my international driver’s licence?
If you’re a tourist, yes. But if you’re a resident and want to buy a car in Abu Dhabi, you’ll need to get your licence replaced by a UAE one and translated into Arabic. You have to have an eye test (this can be done at the Traffic & Licensing Department, although you can also get it done at certain opticians in some of the malls. Mushrif Mall’s Al Jaber Optics told one TOAD operative that he could give us the test if we had our a copy of our passport with a valid residency visa in it, a driver’s licence and three passport photos). When going to the Traffic Department you’ll need your original licence, your passport, along with a copy, three passport photos and a letter from your place of work saying that they have no objection to you driving a car. You’ll also have to pay Dhs200, but we recommend having a couple of hundred more dirhams on you, especially if you need to have your eye test done at the Department. Once you’ve submitted all your documents, you can collect your new licence from the photography room on the same day.
What if I want to sell my car to someone outside of Abu Dhabi?
First off, you and the buyer will need to visit the licensing department with a completed application form. You’ll need your passport and driving licence, the vehicle registration card, an insurance policy in the new owner’s name and a technical inspection certificate. Got a bank loan for it? You might also need a no objection letter from your bank.
It’ll cost you Dhs200 for light vehicles. One thing to note if you’re buying from Dubai. Unlike other emirates, Dubai will not provide export number plates to transport the vehicle from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The new owner of the vehicle must arrange for lorry transportation to the new location, which costs anywhere between Dh400 to Dh600.
How do I pay my traffic fines?
You can pay them online at www.abudhabi.ae. You need to register on the Abu Dhabi Government Gateway using your Emirates ID Card and Personal Identification Number (PIN). A standard smart card reader is required for this type of registration. You can see just what black points you’ll get on your licence by clicking on www.adpolice.gov.ae/en. End up with more than 24 points and your licence will be revoked.
10 things you need to know
1 Got kids with you? If they’re ten or under they’re not allowed to sit in the front seat of your car. Anyone sitting in the front two seats must wear seatbelts. If you don’t, you’ll get fined.
2 There is a zero tolerance on driving under the influence of alcohol in Abu Dhabi, regardless of the amount.
3 Mobile phones are not to be used while driving. A Dubai bus driver recently got in trouble after he was photographed texting by a passenger while driving to Abu Dhabi.
4 If your view is restricted, do not try to overtake.
5 If you’re on a road with no overhead lighting, you can use full beams to improve the view ahead. Changing lanes without indicating is illegal, as is flashing a car in front of you to get out of the way. Even though many people do it, doesn’t mean you should.
6 You must have your vehicle registration card on you at all times to show police. You can be fined for not having this on you if you get pulled over or are in an accident.
7 You must call Saeed (the traffic police) straightaway if you’ve been in an accident. You may have to visit the police station to get back your licence if it’s determined the accident was your fault and you have to pay a fine.
8 You must stick to the speed limit. Outside Abu Dhabi City on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highways, the speed limit is 140km/h with an allowance of 20km/h. When entering cities (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Madinat Zayed), the limit is 80km/h. Check your speed between residential areas: the limit is between 20 and 40km/h. More than 600 mobile speed cameras patrol the speed changing zones and other road sections with speed limitations.
9 Don’t make any kind of gestures. If someone cuts you up on the road, the worse thing you can do is gesticulate at them in a way that could cause the person offense. If you’re reported, you could be fined, arrested and even deported.
10 Be careful at zebra crossings. Abu Dhabi is full of right-hand turns with crossings on them, but most drivers don’t stop. Under UAE law, drivers should give pedestrians a chance to walk if there is a zebra crossing.
