Violation of driving regulations in Dubai and fines
In the past year, the UAE government made measures, aimed at combating road traffic violators, more severe. The amounts of fines were significantly increased. This is why negligent drivers currently risk paying a large sum of money. The table below describes the amounts of fines for the most widespread road traffic violations:
| Use of mobile phone |
25 Euro |
| Unbuckled seat belt |
100 Euro |
| Speeding |
From 70 Euro |
| Parking violation |
From 50 Euro |
| Driving through a red light |
150 Euro |
Heaven forbid you to drive into collision with a camel. Yes, don’t laugh. You have got it right. This administrative offence is extremely serious in UAE. A person guilty of this offence is due for a hefty fine calculated in thousands of dollars!
Speed limitation
In Dubai, the authorities are also very serious about following the speed limit. Practically all roads are equipped with numerous surveillance cameras and speed guns. Renting a car in Dubai, please, remember that if you scorch, you will have to pay an extremely large fine before leaving the country.
The speed limitation within the city is between 40 and 80 kilometers per hour. It depends on a concrete district. That is why, you are advised to be careful and pay attention to highway markings all the time. On speed highways, the vehicle speed is limited by 120 kilometers per hour. By the way, speed guns and surveillance cameras work perfectly on speed highways as well!
Parking lots in Dubai
There is no lack of parking spaces in Dubai. At that all car parks are paid. However, it is interesting that parking spaces are paid at any time of the day, except for the time between 13.00 and 16.00. In order to pay for a parking, it is necessary to push the button located on the automatic barrier. If you are lucky and there is a free place on this parking lot, the barrier will put up and give you a payment receipt.
It is extremely undesirable to lose this receipt since the time of your coming to the car park is pointed out in it. This is why you will need this receipt later when you pay for the parking. Providing you have parked your car for less than 30 minutes, you will pay nothing. In case you have parked a car for more than a half an hour, the cost of parking will be rounded to one hour.
Blood alcohol limit
Arabian authorities are also intolerant to drunk drivers. UAE pertains to a small group of countries, which do not allow any alcohol in human blood at all. Therefore, if a driver’s blood alcohol level appears to be more than 0 permille, he or she is guaranteed to have serious problems with the law. At that this regulation concerns foreign citizens as well. Except for paying a large fine, they risk being prohibited to enter the country for the whole life.
Road traffic regulations in Dubai
Traffic regulations in the Arabian Emirates are practically the same as the ones which are in force in many other countries. However, there are also some differences. If you plan to go in a rental car in Dubai, you are obliged to be aware of these peculiarities. They are the following:
In Dubai, it is customary to rotate when crossing the intersection. At that the drivers who are on the traffic circle at a particular moment have an advantage. It is regarded as a fragrant violation to cross into the intersection, which is already occupied by other vehicles, even if the permissive traffic-actuated signal is turned on.
This is of course an unwritten rule, but all road users in Dubai without any exception obey it. It is accepted to warn the car driving behind you about the presence or absence of an obstruction for overtaking on the road with a turn signal.
By no means can you transport alcohol in the passenger compartment of a rental car in Dubai. Only the resident of the country can do it, and then, if he has a corresponding permit!
If you break any road traffic regulation, you can be quit for a standard fine. However, you can also be deprived of a driving license. Everything exceptionally depends on what decision the policeman will take. Do not even think to offer a bribe to the policeman. In Dubai, you can be brought to trial for such actions.
- The ‘left-of-way’ rule is in force in Dubai.
By and large, drivers in UAE are extremely disciplined. That is why there is an order on roads. The heaviest traffic is on Friday. Therefore, if you go somewhere on this day, be especially careful and attentive.
Cost of petrol in Dubai
Another advantage of hiring a car in Dubai is the low prices for petrol. Nowadays, the prices are the following:
- Petrol 95 costs 0.65 Euro.
- Petrol 98 costs 0.73 Euro.
The quality of petrol leaves no doubt whatsoever, especially in comparison with Russia and a row of other European countries. The principle of work performance of all petrol retail stations is similar. You do not even need to leave a car. Refueling operators will fill up your car on their own. They will also clean the wind and rear screens if necessary. The operators do all this work absolutely for free, but they will be extremely thankful if you give them a tip.
You can pay for fuel both in cash and by credit card. There is one more important thing you need to remember when going to a petrol station in Dubai. In the United Arabian Emirates, it is accepted to measure fuel not in liters but in gallons. One gallon is equal to 4 liters of fuel. If you forget about it, you risk being in a false position.
Toll roads in Dubai
If you have already got acquainted with all sights of Dubai and decided to go on an excursion to the neighboring Abu-Dabi, you will have to use a toll road. The two famous toll roads in UAE are Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Garhoud Bridge. The cost of a single passage is around 1 Euro for cars hired in Dubai. There are sufficiently enough toll roads on the territory of the United Arabian Emirates. However, it will be fair to point out that free roads in UAE are perfect as well!
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