Registering a Minor Road Accident in Dubai

It's often a scary experience, driving on Dubai's roads, and new expats who have just arrived will need to adjust their driving style to cope with the different conditions here.

A large proportion of us manage to pass the days by without being involved in an accident on the roads here, but sometimes, whether due to your own fault or another's, you might find yourself in a minor accident. 

Many of us will understand the procedures from our home countries, but in a country where there's so many different nationalities, languages and driving standards, sometimes the situation can become quite frustrating when trying to organise the relevant information following an accident. 

So to make sure you have all the correct information, and to help you be confident in knowing how to handle a situation if it ever occurs, here's our guide filled with stuff you should know. 

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The first thing we'll say though, is DON'T PANIC and call the Dubai Police straight away. While this may be a common practice older expats may be familiar with, times and regulations are changing, and involving the Dubai Police in a minor accident dilemma is not only a waste of their valuable time, but can cost you or the other driver a fine. 

To prevent involving the Dubai Police physically at the scene of the collision, there are other ways you can get your must-have Dubai Police accident report, which you need to present to your insurance company to make a valid claim.

Before you get started with reporting the accident, make sure you have the following to hand:

• UAE driving licence
• Emirates ID
• Vehicle registration card
• Insurance documents

Via your smartphone's Internet browser
By visiting the Dubai Police website on your smartphone, you are able to report the minor accident by simply filling in a form online, providing pictures of the damaged area, and once approved, you will receive your report via email or SMS.

Using their e-service on your smartphone negates the need to call the police to the site of the accident, or even going to your local police station to receive your accident report. 

What's also useful is that both drivers are able to send the report straight after the collision has occured. Police officers on the receiving end will check the data and issue the report right away, and a copy for each driver will be sent to their email and to the insurance companies. 

Via the Dubai Police app
Similar to the mobile responsive website of Dubai Police, drivers in Dubai can download their app - which includes lots of services and information not just relating to driving here, which is useful to have. The procedure is very similar to the above; the app comes with a step-by-step guide in both Arabic and English which help to explain the steps if anyone has any issues.

The app also allows the reporting driver to take up to five photos of each vehicle involved. Plus, thanks to geo-location in your phone, the app can send an exact location of the accident and identifies the nearest police station, who will be handling your accident reports. 

At petrol stations
Dubai Police are currently holding a trial run at three petrol stations in Dubai where drivers involved in minor accidents can now file a report there. With the aim of rolling the service out across the city, Dubai Police are hoping to offer a service as easy as their application, that allows drivers without smartphones to report an accident. 

Staff at the petron stations will be able to assist drivers in completing their report. The three ENOC petrol stations this iniative is currently live at are the two on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and another in the suburb of Al Warqa. 

Visiting a police station
If you are unable to use a smartphone and use the Dubai Police app to report the incident, you may visit one of the many Dubai Police stations in Dubai to gain your accident report. 

To find your nearest police station, you may visit the official Dubai Police website here, or alternatively we have collected the contact details of each one for you here:

• Rifa'a Police Station: +9714 393 7777
• Rashidya Police Station: +9714 285 3000
• Jebel Ali Police Station: +9714 8116666
• Nad Al Sheba Police Station: +9714 336 3535
• Al Qusais Police Station: +9714 263 1111
• Muraqabat Police Station:+9714 266 0555
• Bur Dubai Police Station: +9714 398 1111
• Naif Police Station: +9714 228 6999
• Hatta Police Station: +9714 852 1111
• Ports Police Station: +9714 345 9999
• Al Barsha Police Station: +9714 3138555
• Al Hobab Station: +9714 832 1333
• Al Faqaa Station: +9713 733 1123

You may also send a fax to +9714 2171515 or email [email protected]. You may also call the Dubai Police call center by dialing 901 to seek advice and instruction on the next steps needed to complete the accident report. 

Requesting the Dubai Police visit the accident site
If it is your first experience of a collision on Dubai's roads, you may feel more comfortable in calling the Dubai Police for assistance in resolving the incident. If this is the route you wish to take, you may request their presence at the accident site by calling 999.

Once the police officers arrive, provide them with your driving licence and vehicle registration card. 

SEE ALSO: Chat with other expats on our bustling forum

Do not argue with them over the responsibility, as the police will hear both sides and determine liability. They will document all details, and each party involved will gain a hard copy of the accident report. This is in Arabic, as standard. 

If you receive a pink form, you are at fault.

If you receive a green form, you are not at fault. 

Once you have the accident report and your forms, you may now contact your insurance provider to repair the damage. 

Recently, there was a new list of Dubai Police fines approved by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, which you may view here. They include the cost of replacing a traffic accident report if lost, the cost of removal of a car or truck from the road, the fine given to the drive who has caused the accident, requiring Dubai Police to visit the site, and more. 

We've got lots of tips and advice for drivers in Dubai to make sure you are all kept safe and from harms way while out and about at all times. Read our handy guide on driving in Dubai, and we've also gathered all of the RTA and Dubai Police traffic fines that you can face on the roads. 

Safe driving, people!