Road Rules and Regulations

Now that you’ve arrived and set yourself up with transportation, here are some road rules and regulations you should be aware of while driving in Dubai.

Rule One
Upon approaching a bifurcation, or an intersection of two roads equal in priority or importance, priority is always for the vehicle to your right. This rule is to be observed only at those intersections and bifurcations not ruled by the traffic signs, or by a policeman that directs the traffic at them.

Rule Two
Upon the merging of a main street with a side road or a local road, priority is always for the vehicles driving on the main street. The driver on the bypasses or secondary roads is to give priority to the traffic flow on the main streets whenever there is one of the following traffic signs:

An up-side-down red triangle with a white background and the word (SLOW DOWN) written within it.

An octagonal red sign with the word (STOP) written on it.

Rule Three
Priority at roundabouts is always for the vehicles driving around it, drivers who want to enter into the roundabout are to give priority to all vehicles that are within the roundabout.

Rule Four
A driver, who wants to make a U-turn, when allowed to, is to give priority to all the adjacent vehicles, and not to make such a maneuver unless the adjacent direction is completely empty of vehicles.

Rule Five
Vehicles driving on roads separated by a road division and on highways, always have priority, this significance is usually clarified by signs, some similar clarifying signs are always placed on the roads leading to such roads so as to alert drivers to that

Rule Six
Wagons and vehicles driving on rails always have priority to proceed on the tracks by signs or closing bars.

Rule Seven
Formal parades, ambulances, emergency and rescue vehicles police cars and fire engines during the time they use their distinguished lights and sirens, and funereal parades always have priority to pass.

Rule Eight
When two vehicles coming from two opposite directions meet and want to turn to the same street, priority is for the vehicle that wants to turn to the right, the vehicle that wants to turn to the left is to wait until the road is clear of adjacent vehicles.

Rule Nine
Vehicles that want to take a paved road and are coming from an unpaved road, or from a farm, or from car parks, or from a gas station, or the like, or wants to reverse in order to enter a road, do not have any priority, and they must wait until the road is clear in front of them before they begin to drive along the ongoing traffic.

Other Rules
At the designated pedestrian crossing priority is always for pedestrians once they step on the road, in such cases a driver is to reduce speed, or stop completely, and enable pedestrians to cross.

Whenever there is a traffic policeman regulating the traffic movement, his instructions dominate over all other traffic signs or lights, or any rules related to priority.

Traffic lights determine priority on the crossings fixed on them, and they are mandatory for road users whether they conflict or not with any other rules and priorities.

You can also check out dubaipolice for a list of violations and their fines.