- It is a criminal offence to leave the scene of an accident, however minor. The criminal sanctions for leaving the scene of an accident in which a person was injured are more severe (imprisonment and/or a minimum fine of 25,000 AED).
- It is a criminal offence to drive a car with any alcohol in your system, regardless of whether the alcohol was consumed legally or not. According to UAE law there is zero tolerance to drink while driving.
- It is a criminal offence to drive without valid driver's liability insurance. Take note of when your car insurance expires so that you can renew it in good time.
- Keep your car insurance papers, car registration documents and driving license to hand when driving. In the event of an accident, it is a criminal offence if you fail to provide these to the police (although you may be given time to do so following an accident).
- It is against the law to drive a vehicle in Dubai which is not in good mechanical condition, or does not have safe and functioning steering, brakes, horn, front mirror, wipers, seatbelt, and spare tire in a useable condition or headlights. If in breach of these laws, the vehicle may be confiscated by police and/or the driver fined or imprisoned. Please consult the RTA website for full details.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.