What are the rules and road fines in the Emirates?
Today a sensitive topic, but certainly interesting for many visitors to the UAE, for example when they are travelling by rental car.
Read about the road traffic fines in the UAE:
Basically and in advance, in the Emirates, offences in road traffic are punished with severe penalties.
When you drive a car here, you can quickly feel why the penalties are so severe. High-powered vehicles invite you to exaggerate, where people love to drive quickly and you feel it several times a day.
So to ensure general safety, offences are punished quite harshly here.
Serious offenses in Road Traffic Fines in the UAE are highly punished
Serious offences (including driving under drugs or alcohol, causing serious injuries or death to the other party involved in the accident, driving away from an accident with injured persons, and severely damaging a vehicle) all end up in court. It is here that a decision is made about the amount of the Road Traffic Fines in the UAE and also whether there is an additional risk of imprisonment.
Speeding violation with tolerance?
Speeding and an inherently dangerous driving style are particularly penalized. It still exists in Dubai – the tolerance limit of 20 km/h, but no longer in Abu Dhabi. And from July 1, 2023, the following will also apply in Dubai: Exceeding the prescribed speed of up to 20 km/h costs 300 dirhams, which corresponds to around 78 euros.
If you exceed the prescribed speed by up to 50 km/h, you can expect a Road Traffic Fines in the UAE of 1,000 dirhams (approx. 263 €). And if you exceed the limit by up to 60 km/h, you can expect 5 black points in addition to 1,500 dirhams (395 €).
More than 60 km/h will be penalized with 2,000 dirhams (approx. 526 €) and 12 black points.
More than 80 km/h are penalized with 3,000 dirhams (approx. 790 €) and 23 black points.
You also pay 400 dirhams (approx. 100 euros) if you change lanes or turn without blinking, are not wearing a seat belt, drive in the opposite direction of travel, prevent others from overtaking, drive below the minimum speed limit or drive in lanes that Buses or taxis are reserved.
Don’t jump a red light!
Jumping a red light costs you 1,000 dirhams, 12 black points and your car will be confiscated for a month. Pay the home smart impound 450 AED and get GPS installation on your car. If you want to avoid impounding your car you must 3.000 AED in addition to the 1.000 AED Road Traffic Fines in the UAE.
Throwing rubbish out of the window is also punished
Overtaking on the hard shoulder, throwing rubbish out of the window, or “gawking” in an accident costs 1000 dirhams that are around 250 euros + 6 black points. Calling or writing messages on a mobile phone costs you 800 dirhams (approx. 210 €) and 4 black points.
Pedestrians have priority!
Anyone who overlooks or does not stop pedestrians at pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings), does not secure an accident site, overtakes without permission, parks other road users, and ignores street signs and instructions pay 500 dirhams approx.
Misuse of parking spaces, not having a driver’s license with you, or not showing it, and driving with interior lighting or without glasses or contact lenses cost between 100 and 200 dirhams, i.e. 25 – 50 euros.
Points system for traffic offences
Of course, there is also the point system here. So, in addition to the Road Traffic Fines in the UAE, points (maximum 23, with 24 Black Points your driver license will be suspended for 3 months in the first case) are also awarded. Of course, this only applies to the residents and not to tourists.
In many cases, in addition to the Road Traffic Fines in the UAE, the car is also confiscated for up to 90 days, depending on the offence. If it concerns your rental car, for example, because you have run over a red light, then the Road Traffic Fines in the UAE of 1000 dirhams is added to 30 days of confiscation and thus the downtime for the rental company.
Overtaking: left, or right?
There is no right-hand drive requirement, in the Emirates, which means that on a multi-lane road you can overtake in every lane. In practice, in most cases overtaking is on the left. However, preventing someone from overtaking is also punished here. So please do not block the left lane if you are driving slower than the others.
The maximum speeds are indicated by signs everywhere. Within the city between 50-80 km / h, on highway 100-120 km / h, out of town 140 km / h. In Abu Dhabi, there is another motorway towards Al Ain which can be driven at 160 km / h.
The speed camera density in the Emirates is extremely high, at the exit roads about every 2 km. There are also at least as many cameras. So, it is essential to follow the traffic rules, otherwise, the holiday can quickly become more expensive than expected.
Here you will find a clear list of all offences and Road Traffic Fines in the UAE.
