It’s very easy to have a car accident in Dubai – as you’ll see, but hopefully not from personal experience. The Dubai Police have been requesting that people involved in minor accidents should park their cars in such a way so as not to obstruct traffic, then swap details and go to the nearest police station. Whilst that sounds quite sensible in theory, in practice it doesn’t seem to work. With the different nationalities and driving habits, and possible language and communication difficulties, it’s all too easy to end up in a heated discussion either on site or at the police station with the final judgement from the police appearing to be quite random.
The following is not advice (since it is opposite to what the police say you should do) but an idea. Consider staying put, phone the police and wait for them to arrive. They will make a judgement then (which might appear to be random anyway) and may give you a fine of a couple of hundred dhs for not moving. This (apart from the fine) was the standard way of doing things until recently and so residents and police are used to that system. In fact, in the past, if you had moved your car, the police would request you put it back where it was when the accident happened (even to the extent of putting a car back in the ocean on a boat ramp or a long way out in the desert – both situations apparently true). Alternatively, you could just phone the police before moving cars and ask them what to do.
Whatever happens, if you have a camera, take some photos before moving the vehicles, but don’t photograph Emirati women.
The police in Dubai generally speak some English (standard will vary). There are usually two in attendance. Most of the time things will get resolved amicably and the police will be quite helpful and friendly (you’re bound to hear stories of exceptions though). You could be waiting for hours rather than minutes for them to arrive if it’s a minor accident.
The normal procedure is that the police make a judgement regarding fault and write a report on the spot. A pink copy will be given to the person they consider at fault, and a green copy to the person not at fault (the colors are reversed in Sharjah, not surprisingly). You give this and your damaged car to the insurance company.
If you hit a stationary object, or something without a driver hits you, call the police and wait there. If you’re tempted just to drive away, remember that getting a repair done is almost impossible without the accident report. Workshops run the risk of severe penalties if they repair a car without the police report – and the police do check.
The Gulf News (an English newspaper in Dubai) during 2006 was publishing a weekly photo and article to highlight the “accident of the week” (there were no prizes even though many residents wondered if it was a competition). A rather bizarre way to promote road safety.
If there are injuries, the police and medical personnel will sort it out. If someone dies and you’re deemed to be responsible, you’ll have to pay 200,000 dhs “diya” or “blood money” to the family of the victim. Your insurance company should pay this (unless you’ve been drinking or taken drugs in Dubai or something else that negates your insurance).
If you see an accident, you could stop and offer to act as a witness. Depending on the wasta levels of you and the accident participants though, it’s possible that you become one of the causes of the accident. If there are injured people and you decide to assist, be aware that if one of the victims dies and you were the last person to touch them, you will probably be held (in jail) responsible for their death. At least until it is clear that you did not cause the death, which may take days.
