.png?itok=o7XUYJI4 "New UAE Family Law Changes for Non-Muslim Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance")
If you live in Abu Dhabi or just drive there often, here are 5 new rules that you should remember before getting behind the wheel
19 September 2018
| Last updated on 20 September 2018
Driving in Abu Dhabi is relatively easy, if you follow the rules that is...
No matter how long you’ve been driving back home, when you come to drive in the UAE you will face new driving laws that can really cost you if they’re broken.
Police are constantly warning against new rules or existing rules that drivers just seem to overlook but are important for everyone’s safety on the road.
Residents who are now obtaining their UAE driving license are always aware of the changes in driving laws, as they are required to study for a theoretical exam and a driving exam. But it shouldn’t stop there.
Getting to your destination is everyone’s goal at the end of the day, but some drivers may harass or tailgate some cars to get there faster – endangering your life or someone else’s with reckless driving is punishable by law in the UAE.
That’s why it’s always good to familiarise yourself with the driving rules of the cities in the UAE – as the RTA and the police may have updated old ones or added new ones.
Abu Dhabi Police have added 5 new rules that you should remember before hitting the roads in the capital.
5. Littering from your car
An obvious one, but littering anywhere in the country is illegal and now throwing rubbish out of your car’s window can get you in trouble – previously it would have cost you AED500 and 4 black points.
Abu Dhabi Police have adjusted this law and made it harsher if you’re caught littering, so expect the following:
- AED1,000 fine
- 6 black points
4. Not using your signaling lights
For times on end, residents in the UAE are encouraged to use their signaling lights to change lanes – so that other drives can anticipate your next move and general avoidance of any road accidents.
In 2017, almost 10,000 drivers were fined for this exact action and when the rule proved unsuccessful, Abu Dhabi Police posted a new amendment to the law:
- AED400 fine
3. Ignoring stop signs on yellow buses
When children make their way back home from school, parents are expected that they return in one piece from the bus journey - UAE made it mandatory for schools in the UAE to paint their buses bright yellow and to use stop signs when dropping off the children.
But as hastily drivers ignore this rule, many sad incidents have taken place that could have been avoided – Abu Dhabi Police have cracked down on this rule to ensure the safety of children on school buses.
This is what will happen if you choose to overtake a bus with the stop sign is activated:
- AED1,000 fine
- 10 black points
2. Ignoring speed limits
The capital has recently changed the speed limits on major city roads – making the shown speed limit, the maximum you can go in that area.
So the extra 20kmph rule does not apply in some areas around the capital, meaning 1kmph over and you’re at risk of getting fined.
And speeding fines in Abu Dhabi can cost you the following:
- AED600 fine
1. Using carpooling
If you and your friends usually drive to your destinations together, you must know that it is now illegal to carpool in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Police has already warned drivers in the capital of this new law – this law comes in effect to protect any members of the public from any sort of harm.
If you’re found driving for the sake of carpooling, expect the following:
- AED3,000
- 24 black points
