Living in Abu Dhabi

Driving

Vehicles in Abu Dhabi have the steering wheel on the left and they drive on the right hand side of the road. If you’re from a country like the UK or India where the steering wheel is on the right, don’t worry about having to learn changing gears with the other hand – the vast majority of cars in the UAE have automatic transmissions.

Road manners
Despite the good roads, driving in Abu Dhabi can be a bit of a culture shock. Road manners are in short supply and drivers generally have a one-tracked mind about where they want to get to, giving little thought to cars behind them. It can be a frightening experience for first-time drivers in the city. The slightest sign of a queue and you'll see white Toyota Landcruisers and Nissan Patrols take to the hard shoulder with reckless abandon for anybody elses' safety. It's not too uncommon to see similar cars driving the wrong way down a road, presumably as it is the quickest route.

Accident statistics
While Abu Dhabi road accident statistics are dropping every year, the five main causes of accidents in the emirate in 2013, according the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, were: jumping red lights, driving at high speeds without taking the road into account; lack of attention by motorists; failure to leave sufficient distance between vehicles and non-compliance with road lanes. All of these things you will see happening on a regular occurrence. Around 11% of accidents involve trucks so treat them with caution too, and watch out on higways specifically for slower coaches moving into outside lanes to let trucks pass on the inside. 

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