Visitors touring the UAE in a car can unwittingly accumulate huge traffic fines — with some cases going as high as Dh43,000 — but rental firms are coming to the rescue to prevent visitors from making expensive errors. The most common offense? Speeding, usually due to unfamiliarity with UAE road regulations and changing speed limits between emirates.
Most rental companies currently provide real-time alerts, dash-mounted GPS with speed-limit alerts, and pre-delivery briefings on key traffic regulations prior to vehicle delivery. These will help minimize unintentional offenses, particularly on the highways where there are frequent speed cameras and nuanced limit changes.
Shoppers are also invited to opt for rental firms that offer Salik (toll) monitoring, fine monitoring, and automated notification, which can assist in the early identification and resolution of issues — before they become too expensive to deal with. Even insurance add-ons, offered by some companies, soften some violations.
As tourism soars in the UAE, car rentals remain the most popular means of getting around cities and deserts. But as specialists caution, learning the law is as crucial as learning the route— and can save thousands in the process.
