# Adapting to driving



## branwelch24 (Apr 27, 2011)

For someone coming from America, what are the differences in driving in Dubai? I know I am able to get my license without much problem, but how easy will it be to interprit road signs? I hear it is pretty chaotic, but how does it compare to a large US city? The move is going to be really quick, and I don't have much time to research, so I appriciate any information including anything I may have forgotten to ask. Thanks!


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## teuchter (Dec 12, 2011)

branwelch24 said:


> For someone coming from America, what are the differences in driving in Dubai? I know I am able to get my license without much problem, but how easy will it be to interprit road signs? I hear it is pretty chaotic, but how does it compare to a large US city? The move is going to be really quick, and I don't have much time to research, so I appriciate any information including anything I may have forgotten to ask. Thanks!


Chaotic is one way to describe it...

- on a 6-lane highway, expect people to suddenly cut across all 6 lanes from the fast lane, to exit right (without indicating)
- cars in the middle lane often travel more slowly than those in the 'slow' lane (no adherence to the 'keep right unless overtaking' rule)
- road signs are fairly unambiguous/easy to interpret; main problem is that the signs are often positioned right before the exit you're looking for (by which time you've missed it, necessitating a detour of 5km or more to the next intersection to be able to u-turn) 
- expect to see vehicles reversing along a highway to reach a missed exit (see previous point)
- there is no right turn on red, as can be found in the US
- very few people seem to understand the correct use of roundabouts; few give way at them
- keep a 'safe distance' between your car and the car in front, and another car will immediately jump into that space (usually without indicating)
- expect no-one to give way (yield) to you, especially when merging/joining a busier road: it's dog-eat-dog
- expect to be tailgated/flashed/honked at if you are in the fast lane, adhering to the posted speed limit
- people here generally do not observe/give way to reversing vehicles (eg in a car park): this applies equally to pedestrians as much as other drivers
- drivers here use their hazard warning lights when *moving *(which is illegal in most western countries) to indicate that (a) they're braking; (b) there's slow traffic ahead; (c) it's foggy; (d) it's raining; (e) they are parking, amongst other things 

There are many more examples; I'm sure some of the regulars will be along soon with their thoughts.

teuchter


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

A common complaint for Americans is the lack of left turns. If you miss a turn, you will need to continue driving straight until you reach a round-about or another signal.
I never saw this as a problem till my best friend started complaining about how "In America....."


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I have no idea what this "left turn" complaint is about to be honest, you can turn left almost everywhere except on Highways which is also the case in most civilised countries too as you can't have someone slowing down in preparation to turn left while in the "fast" lane.


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## Confiture (Jan 9, 2011)

Hand signals (of any kind) are open to interpretation and should be avoided at all times.

Any car with a less than 5 numbers on the license plate has right of way.

This also applies to any Pathfinder / Land Cruiser / Patrol - especially an old one with heavily tinted windows.


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

I would describe the traffic here in general "without common sense".


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## shezza321 (Mar 14, 2012)

Is it true that from April 1st u have to take a driving test to get ur UAE licence? Or can u get it change without doin one I'm from the UK


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## teuchter (Dec 12, 2011)

shezza321 said:


> Is it true that from April 1st u have to take a driving test to get ur UAE licence? Or can u get it change without doin one I'm from the UK


I've never heard of this. I also know a Brit who transferred his licence yesterday.

teuchter


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## shezza321 (Mar 14, 2012)

teuchter said:


> I've never heard of this. I also know a Brit who transferred his licence yesterday.
> 
> teuchter


Thank you, I hadn't read anything either, but when u tell people ur going Dubai people love to get their bits in..

Thanks


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

teuchter said:


> - expect no-one to give way (yield) to you, especially when merging/joining a busier road: it's dog-eat-dog


I think people speed up when they see someone trying to merge etc.


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## Confiture (Jan 9, 2011)

shezza321 said:


> Is it true that from April 1st u have to take a driving test to get ur UAE licence? Or can u get it change without doin one I'm from the UK


April 1st probably explains that one...


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## shezza321 (Mar 14, 2012)

Confiture said:


> April 1st probably explains that one...


What one? I'm confused??


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## teuchter (Dec 12, 2011)

shezza321 said:


> What one? I'm confused??


I think Confiture meant that the date (= April Fool's Day) explained the story 

teuchter


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## shezza321 (Mar 14, 2012)

Lol oh yeah, oh well that man is a big fool it was a cab driver too. Well that does me a favour


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Remember to always move over and give way to Silver Sports Cars, it'll saver from flashing my lights or cutting you up.


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## ziokendo (Jan 7, 2012)

teuchter said:


> I've never heard of this. I also know a Brit who transferred his licence yesterday.
> 
> teuchter


I also transfered my license yesterday, so no.


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## ziokendo (Jan 7, 2012)

It's not a big deal. I have seen worse amount of tailgating, lane hopping, and flashing in other parts of the world.

Just try to be in other people mind, imagine that most of those driving little buses and trucks (and also some of the taxi drivers) were probably driving only a bike or a scooter 5 years ago, so they just can't think the same way as you do.

What for you would be unthinkable, like not watching in the mirrors, suddenly changing lane or braking etc, they won't think twice about it.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Basically be alert, I've seen some stupid drivers in the US occasionally, just expect it to happen more often in the Middle East.

I remember having a minor epiphany in Kuwait while driving. If I would look straight ahead and only use my peripheral vision to watch other drivers they would tend not to cut you off and even give way occasionally if you were merging. If I would actually do the right thing and turn my head to judge the traffic the other drivers would "own me" and practically run over my butt. Especially true in roundabouts.


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## branwelch24 (Apr 27, 2011)

thank you all for your helpful notes. It is good to know I cannot turn right on red. That would have been my first traffic ticket! I took a look at a list of traffic signs at another website, and some are a bit different than I am used to. Hopefully I will get used to them.


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## Toon (Feb 28, 2012)

To the OP. Basically if you can drive, you can drive in Dubai.

That's it. 

If you can't, keep off the roads.

Edited to add



branwelch24 said:


> thank you all for your helpful notes. *It is good to know I cannot turn right on red.* That would have been my first traffic ticket! I took a look at a list of traffic signs at another website, and some are a bit different than I am used to. Hopefully I will get used to them.


Jees buddy, and you wonder why there are so many fatalities here? You honestly didn't know this????

(Shakes head)


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

Toon said:


> To the OP. Basically if you can drive, you can drive in Dubai.
> 
> That's it.
> 
> ...


In Canada (minus Quebec) and the USA you can turn right on a red... It is a common error by North Americans in other countries... Don't be so harsh, that's why the OP started this thread!


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

INFAMOUS said:


> In Canada (minus Quebec) and the USA you can turn right on a red... It is a common error by North Americans in other countries... Don't be so harsh, that's why the OP started this thread!


And Toon, it doesn't give you the right of way to turn right on red, just if nothing is coming you can do it. Pretty convenient and not dangerous at all if you drive with a lick of sense!

I've been living/traveling all over the world for years and I appreciated the reminder!


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## branwelch24 (Apr 27, 2011)

Toon said:


> To the OP. Basically if you can drive, you can drive in Dubai.
> 
> That's it.
> 
> ...


I was just hoping for helpful information. If you do not have anything to add to the conversation please refrain from posting. In the US you can turn right on red when there are no cars coming.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

branwelch24 said:


> In the US you can turn right on red when there are no cars coming.


You must not be here yet. There are barely any stop light type four way stops with lights. Very few places, but is happening more in abu dhabi. But then, in abu dhabi they are building rights built in to allow you to merge in with traffic, so thus allowing one to 'turn right' on red. Many of the busy roundabouts will have an ability to go to the immediate right slip, even if there is a light. It isnt all too hard to figure out once here (yet seems most people just dont get roundabouts, and unfortunatly brits included). 

There are people on the road who appear scared to death to be driving, driving next to people who would run them over like an ant. And you in the middle trying to make sure you dont get ran over by the person flashing or run into the ant who decided the lane next to the fast lane was a good choice.... 

No blinkers but glare at you like your nuts because you nearly hit them, merging without looking or any consideration of speeding up/down, flying across five lanes in the last 200 meters in front of other cars, going 140 km an hour, and someone nearly ramming into whilst flashing their headlights two feet away from your vehicle... will become just normal driving out and about. 

Brits dont find the no left turn thing an issue but almost every american I talk to, has an issue with it. Sometimes you have to go a km or two... or three or four, until you get where you are able to do a flip around and make your way back to something. They build something in the center of lanes of roads almost on every even semi large road. It is the biggest pain in the ass. There is a road in dubai, where if you miss the exit, there is not another exit for 19km. So is a 36 km 'mistake' if you miss it. I have missed it multiple times.... I will never learn and thus driving here is still usually ending with me ranting with my favorite line... "Have I told you I h.... " with my favorite indian . She kindly listens to my rants about the road.


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## opps (May 18, 2011)

They have no manners and no common sence! Animals behave better !!! tail gateing is just a joke. Most people that bully you in the road only do it because they bend the law knowing that if you get out of your car and smash them in the face at the traffic lights the police would most probably get called and you would get deported. They are pathetic hiding behind their tinted windows.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Jynxgirl said:


> I will never learn and thus driving here is still usually ending with me ranting with my favorite line... "Have I told you I h.... " with my favorite indian . She kindly listens to my rants about the road.


To the OP, you need to find a kind Indian friend (with no voice/opinion of his/her own )to will listen to your rants about how much you hate this place and how in America.....blah blah blah! Most of the time, I'm busy doing my chores and not listening to her but don't let Jynx know that!


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

What really rattles my cage out here is the lack of indicator usage (which has been mentioned earlier in the thread) and one evening when I wasn't in a particularly good mood this idiot in front of me absolutely refused to use his indicators weaving in and out of traffic. He then cut across lanes to exit next turn off which was same as mine, again without indicator usage and by this time I'd had enough of him so I followed him home. He pulled into his garage in his villa and I parked up outside, waited for him to get out of his car and I got out of mine. Had a real rant at him telling him he was an accident waiting to happen and that I was totally p!ssed off with the driving situation out here. Informed him he was being totally ignorant and that I wasn't a mind reader. Surprisingly he didn't bite but actually apologised to me and explained he'd had a hard day, although he was a little miffed that I'd called him ignorant. I felt quite liberated after that.  Problem is I don't have the time to do that with every to**er on the road who's totally oblivious to all other vehicles ;-)


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

petrolhead said:


> Informed him he was being totally ignorant and that I wasn't a mind reader. Surprisingly he didn't bite but actually apologised to me and explained he'd had a hard day, although he was a little miffed that I'd called him ignorant. I felt quite liberated after that.  Problem is I don't have the time to do that with every to**er on the road who's totally oblivious to all other vehicles ;-)


You should feel lucky that you he didn't report you for "insulting" him because you called him "ignorant"  People have been deported for much less (or at least that's what 7days tells me )


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

rsinner said:


> You should feel lucky that you he didn't report you for "insulting" him because you called him "ignorant"  People have been deported for much less (or at least that's what 7days tells me )


Yes I know I'm lucky but I just felt so enraged by his 'uncouth' road behaviour that I needed to rip into him. Just his bad luck that I was in a bad mood at the time.


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## gemsy62 (Dec 23, 2011)

I was about to go and rent a car after work today until I read this thread! 

maybe I'll stick to the metro for a while!


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## cami (Aug 11, 2010)

opps said:


> They are pathetic hiding behind their tinted windows.


nope. they are simply too ugly to look at


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

gemsy62 said:


> I was about to go and rent a car after work today until I read this thread!
> 
> maybe I'll stick to the metro for a while!


Hey no, don't give up. Just get behind that wheel and treat every other driver on the road as though they're a pratt - shouldn't be too many surprises then


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## Nitro_From_Windsor (Sep 10, 2010)

Driving in this place has made this otherwise nice Canadian into a complete jerk on the road. After two years of being the nice guy, stopping at stop signs, letting people merge (of course getting honked at for doing so) and using my turn signal, I now just cut people off, especially those who don't use their turn signals and don't really pay much attention to yield or stop signs. You will find me in the morning newspaper one of these days, headlines reading "Canadian goes completely crazy in the middle of SZR", with a picture of my shoes on someones face.

Of course there are times too when the Canadian in me gives way and I am nice to people, especially when they behave live civilized people on the road and show common courtesy.

The positive thing about all this is that when you head back home, you have a new sense of appreciation for drivers there who follow road signs and are courteous.

BTW, I should mention that I am in Sharjah and so its a billion times worse here


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## teuchter (Dec 12, 2011)

Nitro_From_Windsor said:


> The positive thing about all this is that when you head back home, you have a new sense of appreciation for drivers there who follow road signs and are courteous.


Very true! It's an absolute joy driving back home on our annual trips back 

teuchter


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

teuchter said:


> Very true! It's an absolute joy driving back home on our annual trips back
> 
> teuchter


Yes, I don't think I will ever moan about British motorists again. At least back there the majority of drivers know what they are doing and are also respectful, mindful and courteous. Would probably be only once a month when I'd enter a roadrage - could do that on a daily basis here. My son once said to me in the car when I'd gone off at yet another motorist, 'please calm down, I swear you'll have a heart attack out here'.

I have to admit every destination I reach I'm amazed I've arrived unscathed.


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## Marthabelle (Mar 25, 2012)

Looking through this thread I read:
"Hand signals (of any kind) are open to interpretation and should be avoided at all times."
and my first thought was, how do I say 'thank you' to people if they let me in, make way etc without them misconstruing my wave/light flash or whatever as a negative gesture? oh the naïveté huh!?....reading on I realised how silly I am, doesn't sound like there's many situation where people would deserve, or stick around long enough for a thanks!


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## CDN2012 (Jun 15, 2011)

Its bad here, but not the worst I've seen by a longshot. If my wife can drive there I think you should be alright.

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

The driving here is the worst I've seen. I've been to places like Nigeria, India, Philippines, etc, but the UAE is the only place I've driven where other people on the road would happily force you into a fatal crash just so they could get to their destination 5 seconds quicker and not show an ounce of remorse. In fact, they'd happily kill you just because they could, usually once they get in front of you, they slow down anyway.

In other countries, it's more chaotic, but at least the chaos has some sort of organisation to it, you can sort of go with the flow.


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## themash (Jun 15, 2011)

I do find some of the driving style would be good if followed back in the UK, ie let's not queue like idiots for 3miles before the lanes actually filter and get annoyed with people who try and drive to front of filter area, (The UK loves a queue) or move from fast lane to let others going faster pass, sitting in fast lane doing 1mph more Han cars in slower lane is common sight in UK, along with refusal to move over as there is another car in several miles that they wish to pass!

Then on the other hand I feel I am putting my life at risk on a drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, some driving is not just nuts but proper scary, they clearly have no understanding of their driving abilities or the consequences if their manoeuvres went wrong! I do my best to keep out the way of the nutters!


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Gavtek said:


> The driving here is the worst I've seen. I've been to places like Nigeria, India, Philippines, etc, but the UAE is the only place I've driven where other people on the road would happily force you into a fatal crash just so they could get to their destination 5 seconds quicker and not show an ounce of remorse. In fact, they'd happily kill you just because they could, usually once they get in front of you, they slow down anyway.
> 
> In other countries, it's more chaotic, but at least the chaos has some sort of organisation to it, you can sort of go with the flow.


To me it also seems that many people using their car as a tool to vent their agression that has build up at home with their families or at work. And some are just playing around or trying to win a race that can`t be won.
However, the police presence is second to none and it seems that they are not able to fight against this endless sub minded battle on the roads here....


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## Lita_Rulez (Nov 4, 2010)

Kawasutra said:


> However, the police presence is second to none


You are joking, right ?

The police here (from a purely road safety stand point) is, if anything, a hazard more than anything else !

Not only do they not appear to be present on the streets, except once a week when you'll see them giving a speeding ticket to an Indian or Philippino driver they pulled over (somehow, never a local or a westerner), but on top of that when you see them on the road, they have no clue how to even follow the basic rules of the road !!

They don't signal when they turn, they cut 3 lanes to exit SZR, they don't stop at a stop sign (let alone yield the right of way at a roundabout or a crossing), they tailgate like the craziest drivers I've seen here, they double park in a curb, on a 2 way street, without using their warning or police lights, and worst of all, they will drive right behind someone driving dangerously for miles on end without arresting, giving a ticket, a warning, or even signaling them !


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

Lita_Rulez said:


> You are joking, right ?
> 
> The police here (from a purely road safety stand point) is, if anything, a hazard more than anything else !
> 
> ...


Seconded 

An Arabic member of my staff went to Atlantis one Thursday evening and departed around 3am pretty much worse for wear following drinks. Drove out of hotel and after about a two minute drive saw a stationary police car at side of the road who indicated for him to pull over. He was then asked to get out of the car and questioned as to had he been drinking which he replied 'no'. Mr. Policeman snorted and said come on tell the truth to which he replied 'OK I've had one pint'. I don't think so said the man of authority, you've had quite a few. Then asked to see necessary documents and was told if ever caught drink driving again he would be fined and in serious trouble. So all he received was a caution. Best of it was they let him continue driving home :confused2: All because he spoke their language - literally!


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

I think he meant "Next to None" rather than "Second to None".


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

Felixtoo2 said:


> I think he meant "Next to None" rather than "Second to None".


I meant it ironically...


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## toothdr (Apr 9, 2012)

So is the moral of story learn arabic ;-)


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Funny thread as I just returned from home. Driving from the airport to my folks place and we reach an intersection where we need to turn left. The car driving the other way stops and waves us to make the left in front of her. I am thinking to myself welcome home, because there is no way that would ever happen in back here. It was great to be relaxed and driving at the same time for a while.

Of course, this morning it was back on the Dubai-AD raceway freaking out at people going under 140 in the left hand lane


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## nite (Apr 11, 2012)

From what I have noticed lots of roads do have medians or no left run lane and you will need to U - turn or round the block to get where you need to. I feel the driving is a lot more tame than NYC or LA and the traffic here is not as congested, but some may argue this, lol. 

Another thing I've noticed is everyone seems to roll stop signs and it seems O.K. to do so. (but please check with others on this, I would hate for you to get in trouble)


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

I don't see why the Americans have a problem with the roads not being built up to American standard. You don't see me complaining that these roads are so different from India.  

The paint on our lanes are washed out each year during the monsoons, be appreciative that you at least have lanes here


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