Driving Sanely and Safely in Dubai
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by: George Sotiropoulos
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Driving Sanely and Safely in Dubai
Zen Path to Safe Driving in Dubai
Path Driving Safely, and Sanely in Dubai
Driving in Dubai is a robust experience on many levels, all of which will help strengthen your levels of patience and tolerance if correctly guided.
A true test of the Himalayan monk’s attained enlightenment might be to give him a UAE driver’s license, put him in a medium size car, point to Sheikh Zayed Road and tell him to be at Deira City Center mall in 10 minutes. Even though we’re very curious, and somewhat skeptical, of the results of that test, we figured its probably a good idea to adopt some of the lessons we could learn from that scenario.
In so doing, we put together some driving tips and rules of good conduct to live by that might help you keep safe and sane when taking to the streets in Dubai.
Harmonious Dubai Driving Tips
Be the Traffic
Driving in Dubai requires a level of patience that can only be achieved with monk-like astuteness. Until you reach the level of cosmic consciousness required, our advice is to loosen up. Don’t be a rigid driver. Be fluid like river. Give way. Stay calm. Breath.
High Beam Pressure
Somewhere along the road in the UAE, it has become tradition for a driver in any lane to high-beam the people in the car ahead of him with super-turbocharged headlights until that driver is dominated and surrenders due to blindness. This is most common when the flasher is driving a Ferrari, Mercedes, or a behemoth SUV, and may leave the blinded feeling frustrated, and victimized, and well, hard of seeing. This is normal, don’t take it personally. Any resistance to this behavior will tip the delicate balances of tradition and open the door to mayhem. If someone comes barreling down the highway bullying you into the next lane, be Zen, change lanes and let them go.
Changing Paths
Changing lanes in Dubai takes on new and different dimensions. Many times you will find people driving in more than one lane simultaneously. The four-lane-weave is common place, right along with the bottleneck-front-line-squeeze and the signaless-last-second-lane-change-cuttoff-and-brake. These maneuvers can be a cause of distress for the pedigreed European driver. In time, these maneuvers may also become contagious and you may find yourself driving idiotically too, but we remind you that the true Zen master does not waver from the chosen path, and is harmonious even with donkeys on the way. Be aware of your cars four corners and of the cars around you. Signaling is not near as popular an idea as it is from where you might come from.
None for the Road
The Zen monk’s meditative mind and the UAE’s allowable intoxication level have something in common; nothingness. UAE has zero tolerance when it comes to driving while intoxicated. If you are caught behind the wheel of a car with any amount of alcohol in your system, you will be arrested, your driver’s license will be taken away, and in most cases you will be asked to leave the country after serving your time and paying your fine (and maybe even getting a spanking). If you are planning on having a good time in one of the great Dubai outings, go crazy, and travel the path of safety… in a taxi.
Roundabouts
While its true that the wheels of the bus go round and round, so do many newly arrived UAE residents when stuck in a roundabout. Here is a brief synopsis of how the roundabout works: When approaching a roundabout, the lane that you are in will dictate to other drivers which direction you are going. If you are in the middle lane when you approach the round about, then you should go straight past the roundabout. If you are in the right lane when you approach the roundabout, you should take the first right after entering the round about. The left lane is the tricky one; if you are in the left lane, you will be going in the direction left (which means at some point you will be cutting to the right to exit the roundabout). A western driver will take some time understanding this concept as he will go mad ever time he is cut off by the driver in the left lane cutting to the right. Be mindful that the driver to your left may cut you off to exit to the right at any point, and he would be right in doing so. Awareness of the car to the left is key. If you are in the left lane trying to exit the roundabout, signal, and be mindful that the car to your right may not be aware of you.
One Hundredth Second Rule
In most countries, the two second rule leaves two seconds of time between you and the car in front of you. Abiding by this rule will get you nowhere in Dubai, and in most cases, some harassment from the car(s) behind you. Drivers in Dubai do not like any space to exist between your car and the car in front of you and they will let you know it by squeezing into the four inches of space you have allocated for a quick brake by the driver ahead of you. Our advice is to hold steadfast with the two second rule as it saves lives. Resist the temptation to close in on the pushy driver trying to squeeze a couple of inches by cutting in front of you. The enlightened driver will see the pushiness as another opportunity to practice tolerance. Let them in and secure your cloud in heaven.
Yielding
This is an alien concept in the UAE. If you expect drivers to yield to you just because they are faced with a big triangular sign that says “Yield” you are setting yourself up for miserable failure which manifests in high blood pressure, skin breakouts, cold sweats, nightmares, and occasional eyelid muscle spasms. To be Zen, always assume that the other driver will not yield to you under any circumstance. Practice wolf like swiftness in the event they don’t yield, and gratitude if they do.
Honking
Don’t let this get you down. Honking doesn’t necessarily carry the weight it does in western countries as a disrespectful gesture to others. In the UAE, honking can be interpreted in the same way a turning signal can; its just another way to communicate with other drivers. In the event you are at the receiving end of an all out honking-blow-down, our advice is to shrug it off and let it go. If it makes you feel any better honk back, but don’t get emotional about it. In the event the driver of a large tinted SUV is blasting the horn in a rub-it-in-your-face-and-shove-it-through-your-nostrils style honking followed the dangerous split-hair-cutoff, try to maintain your temper. The truly advanced Zen driver will take pleasure in the confusion created by smiling, waving, and moving out the way.
Flight, no Fight
Driving in Dubai can push your buttons and invariably make you angry. Even still, never, ever-ever, get into an altercation in the UAE. Western and European style tantrums will serve no purpose in Dubai. Cursing and hand/finger signals and gestures carry heavy fines in the UAE, and an inability to control yourself may land you behind bars. You may find yourself in a very hairy situation and the law will not be tipped in your favor. If you feel the urge to shoot the birdie in Dubai, be prepared to pay a fine of 5000 AED. Our advice is to resist the temptation and use that money to treat yourself to one of the many world class stress relieving spas around town.
Zen Master ZOOZi encourages driving without striving. Don’t let the sub-par driving of others lower you’re driving standards. After all, the only thing you can control is your own driving, so do it well. In time, the generous, forgiving, and aware driver will reap the rewards of Dubai’s lovely highways, byways and roundabouts, by reaching their destinations safely.
If you found this article helpful, please feel free to visit us at www.zoozi.com to find more useful articles about getting around in Dubai. Zoozi.com is Dubai’s first choice for Dubai jobs, property, and information.
Copyright 2007 www.zoozi.com
About the Author
George Sotiropoulos writes useful, helpful and compelling articles for www.zoozi.com which is Dubai's first choice for property, classifieds, information and more.
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