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