Know Your Rights: 5 Criminal Laws Every Dubai Expatriate Should Know
1) It is a criminal offense to leave the scene of an accident, however minor. The criminal sanctions for leaving the scene of an accident in which a person was injured are more severe (imprisonment and/or a minimum fine of 25,000 AED).
2) It is a criminal offense to drive a car with any alcohol in your system, regardless of whether the alcohol was consumed legally or not. According to UAE law, there is zero tolerance to drink while driving. You should also abstain from driving the vehicle when you are in a state of exhaustion which could affect your capacity of control.
3) It is a criminal offence to drive without valid driver's liability insurance. Take note of when your car insurance expires so that you can renew it in good time. No person is allowed to drive without possessing a valid driving license. Driving a vehicle on the road without a driving license is a criminal offence. Driving licenses which are issued for the first time have a validity of 2 years. The validity of renewed licenses is 10 years renewable for a similar period for nationals, and 5 years renewable for a similar period for non-nationals. The age for obtaining a driving license for a light vehicle is 18 years. The car can be confiscated by the police if it is being driven by a person who does not have a license.
4) Keep your car insurance papers, car registration documents and driving license to hand when driving.
5) It is against the law to drive a vehicle in Dubai which is not in good mechanical condition, or does not have safe and functioning steering, brakes, horn, front mirror, wipers, seatbelt, and spare tire in a useable condition or headlights. If in breach of these laws, the vehicle may be confiscated by police and/or the driver fined or imprisoned. Please consult the RTA website for full details.
It is also important to note that a policeman has a right to arrest any vehicle which is found to be involved in causing the death of or harm to another person due to his driving, driving recklessly or dangerously, or attempting to flee in case of an accident which has harmed a person, etc.
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