DRIVING SAFELY IN ABU DHABI : PART 4 - ACCIDENTS & BREAKDOWNS

 

USING EMERGENCY SIGNALS

 

If your car breaks down on the road, make sure other drivers can see it and are able to stop in time. If possible, pull right out of the traffic flow.

 

Always use your hazard lights to warn other drivers. This is particularly important on highways, where drivers need plenty of warning to take action to avoid your vehicle.

If you have one, place a warning triangle some distance from the car to warn oncoming traffic that you are stationery.

 

Do not sit in your vehicle while you are waiting for assistance, even though it may be very hot outside. To remain safe,  you and any passengers should stand as far as possible from traffic. Do not stand in front of your vehicle.

 

 

TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS

 

There are a number of simple things you can do to help reduce your risk of a crash.

 

·         Slow down – even a few kilometers per hour will give you more time to react to the unexpected.

·         Give yourself some space – allow enough space between you and the vehicles around you to give yourself more room and more time for avoiding action.

·         Do not begin a journey if you are tired  driving when you are tired greatly increases your risk of road accidents.

·         Avoid making long journeys between midnight and 6 am, when natural alertness is at a minimum.

·         Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended.

·         Do not treat speed limit as a target. It is often not appropriate or safe to drive at the maximum speed limit.

·         Be considerate towards other road users – they may be inexperienced or in an area they do not know well. Be patient; remember that anyone can make mistake.

·         Do not let yourself become agitated or involved if someone is behaving badly on the road. This will only make the situation worse. Pull over, calm down and, when you feel relaxed, continue your journey.

 

 

REPORTING ACCIDENTS

 

If you do have an accident, you must call the police. In the case of a serious accident, dial 999; in less critical cases, call the Abu Dhabi Traffic Police Information Line on 02 419 6666 or one of the local stations:

 

·         Al Madina Police Station : 02 698 5555

·         Shabia Police Station : 02 696 6666

·         Capital Police Station : 02 699 9999

·         Al Manaseer Police Station : 02 665 6954

 

If the damage is minor and no one has been hurt, you may move the vehicle to avoid blocking traffic. Otherwise the car should not be moved.

 

Most minor traffic accidents in which there are no injuries will be dealt with by Saeed, a private company part-owned by Abu Dhabi police whose patrol will prepare an incident report to determine who is at fault. Saeed says the patrol will arrive within 15 minutes after your call and should be able to finalize the accident report within a further 15 minutes.

Motorists involved in minor traffic accidents will have to pay AED 300, plus a nominal fee of AED 50 for a copy of the report and diagram in accidents caused by unknown persons.  The results are forwarded to the insurance companies to enable any claim to be processed; you can also check them online at http://www.saaed.ae/en/.

 

Always ask God's protection before driving your car. It will lessen the chance of being involved in such situations.

 

God bless us more,,,

 

Psyche

 

 

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