1. STAY/STOP

Never leave the scene before the police arrives or the issue is resolved even if it’s a minor accident. Not contacting the police at all is illegal in the UAE, so make sure to wait for them to come or report the minor accident with Dubai Police App if you happen to be in Dubai. It’s really simple and just take 2 minutes to get report on SMS. Not only fleeing from the scene of an accident is morally wrong, but it’s a criminal offence to do so as if you are hiding something. Always, and I do mean always, stay at the scene of the accident. Off course move the vehicle aside on the hard shoulder (yellow line) so that you don't block incoming traffic.

2. Check yourself

Before you can help anyone else, it’s crucial to know that you’re capable of doing so. Do a quick test to determine whether you can move all your body parts: arms, legs, head, neck, shoulder etc just to see if anything hurts. It doesn’t hurt to quickly see whether you can remember your name, address and something of significance, just to ensure that you don’t have a major concussion.

3. Check the occupants

If you’re conscious enough and can establish that you’re okay, briefly ask or check whether everyone else in the car (if present) is fine. If it’s something minor and the person is able to move, help them. If they are unconscious or are feeling neck or back pain, don’t move them an inch. Doing so could lead to serious, sometimes permanent damage. Wait for the paramedics to arrive.

4. Alert the authorities - Call 999 (In UAE) for any road accidentsObviously the next step should be alerting the authorities so that the paramedics, the police and even the fire department (if needed) can come as soon as possible. The sooner they are alerted, the sooner they can come. This may further prevent casualties and save lives. You only need to call Police at 999 and if ambulance or fire is needed they will ask you and take care of the rest. When Police arrives at seen and evaluate the whole situation, they might fine you if they find it's your fault to cause an accident. You can check the here the comprehensive list of  RTA Fines and Traffic Fines in UAE

5. Protect the scene/Prevent an accident

If the accident happens to be at a dangerous location, say a sharp blind corner or a crest (an uphill section) making the accident difficult for other road users to detect, get out of the way first. Get everyone involved to safety at the side of the road at least, and alert other road users if you can. Place the red safety emergency triangle few meters before the your car to warn other incoming traffic to slow down and be aware of your situation.

6. Give a true statement

When the police arrive, be sure to give them a true statement of everything you can remember. Everyone knows that you might be in a state of shock so they won’t take anything against you if some details do come up later on, but make sure you don’t lie or give false information just to cover up and save yourself. The truth will eventually come out. If you’re asked whether you’re hurt and you can’t determine for yourself, say that you’re not sure instead of saying no. It’s better to get checked out right away as car injuries often surface hours or days after the actual accident.

7. Check your vehicle

Go over the condition of your car. In more than 80 percent of car accidents, the vehicle is still in a drive-able condition if the damage is purely cosmetic. Don’t be fooled by the exterior however. Inspect the engine bay and if possible, the wheel arches along with the underside of the vehicle. Make sure there’s nothing leaking out and nothing critical is broken or hanging out. Having a busted headlight or a chipped wheel may not be that big of an issue, but a broken control arm certainly is.

8. Don’t rush it

If you car is in drive-able condition and you didn’t have to call a tow truck, take it easy. Just because it looks okay doesn’t mean it’s the same as it was before the accident. Slow down and get the car home in one piece. Avoid driving it until you have it checked by a mechanic to confirm it’s safe.

9. Inform the insurance company

Make sure to inform your insurance company of the accident as soon as possible. Be truthful about what happened because if they discover that you’ve been lying, you can end up with no coverage from their end, even if you weren’t at fault.

10. Go to a doctor

If you’re experiencing some problems the following days, don’t hesitate to visit the doctor. Even if you feel perfectly fine, it’s normal to do a check-up visit especially if it was a bigger accident. Don’t be scared to go to the hospital, delaying it can only make the problem much worse.

In Dubai, speed matters and dictates the distance you have to keep between the car ahead of you. Not maintaining enough distance between vehicles is considered one of the highest causes of minor and severe accidents in Dubai, especially during the winters, rainy and foggy days. 

Mandatorily, motorists have to keep a minimum of 5-meter space (1 car size) between vehicles when traveling over 80 kmph. New radars now detect tailgating as well, apart from car speed. Motorists violating the safe distance traffic rule will be fined Dh 400 and slapped with four black points. If you are traveling at 100 kmph, keep at least 20 meters. In most cases, a safe following distance is much longer than a car length. 

Bad weather conditions make every driving decision more critical. Heavy fog sometimes gives an illusion of slow movement even if another car is moving faster. In a super dense fog keep the hazard lights on all the time; it helps other drivers to notice your car. In a medium fog tail lamp is enough to be seen. Drive with headlights and fog light on if your car is equipped with one. Signal all turns well in advance, and brake early to warn other drivers. Always check your mirrors and the surrounding vehicles.

A method to ensure that you are at a safe distance from the car ahead of you is to ‘count in seconds’. A safe distance is at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you in ideal conditions. Remember to double the seconds in poor conditions. 

You could also try the time-lapse method. As the rear of the car ahead of you passes a landmark to the left-hand side of the road, such as a light pole or tree, murmur ‘One thousand one, One thousand Two’, which is essentially 2 seconds. If the your car bumper passes the pole or tree before you finish counting, you are not maintaining a safe distance.  

Road rage, even minor rude expressions can attract significant penalties in UAE. The main thing to remember is to be calm and drive safely

Lack of lane discipline, especially lane swerving is considered to be a leading cause of death on the road in UAE. While cases of driving under the influence has been curtailed due to strict rules and punishments, there are several other reasons or distractions that lead to lane swerving . And it is just about taking some simple extra precautions to ensure smooth travel, while maintaining your particular lane.

• Always keep your vehicle in the center of your lane; not to the left, not to the right.
• On multiple lane highways, keep your car to the right, giving way for faster cars to travel on the lane to your left. Overtaking from the right is illegal.
• Use indicators before changing lanes. Very important point for UAE cars, as many drivers don't use this at all.
• When stopping at a red light, ensure that you are in the lane where you would want to be after the interchange.
• Distractions should be avoided, especially phone calls or SMS. 
  According to a report, ‘Despite it being illegal in the UAE, nearly a third (30%) of motorists admit to using their phones and reading texts while driving. Speaking with passengers (44%), changing  the radio station (40%), and adjusting the air conditioning (34%) are other major reasons  why drivers lose concentration. The stunning skyline of the UAE is also enough for 8% of drivers to become distracted’.
• Allow enough space ahead and practice safe distance. Many accidents involve rear-end collisions.
• In heavy traffic, when the lanes merge, use the ‘merging in turn’ rule - the left car goes first, then the right one.
• Solid lines should not be crossed.
• Do not drive on a cycle lane, bus lane or yellow line – emergency lane (hard shoulder).
• Avoid frequent lane changes.
• Turn your headlights on if the daylight is dim or during other low-visibility weather conditions, and always use turn signals (indicators). 
• Always check your mirrors every few seconds to see what is beside and behind you.
• Ensure that you limit to the legal speed limit in ideal conditions.

If you need more help, or need specific answer for any question then try the ‘Carnity Forum’ (http://carnity.com/) section or find car businesses near you with the Carnity ‘Business listing’
(http://carnity.com/business_listing) section.

Your kid deserves all the love and care from you, without being ignorant or inconsiderate while driving your car. It is after all for the safety of your baby, where you as a parent decide where your kid gonna sit, how he or she sits, whether the kiddo is buckled up and safe to ride with you...all these matter. And ‘Never on your lap’ is a golden rule to remember.

According to last year reports, in 2014, a child died every week in UAE road accidents, and in most cases it was as a result of their parents failing to buckle them up. Studies have also shown and accidents have proven that wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of death or serious injuries by 40-65 percent on the front seats, but when it comes to your little ones, if not properly buckled up in child seat, this figure goes up to 80 percent. Damn.

Although there is no law yet regarding child car seat in UAE. However, there is a law for not letting the kids under the age of 10 in front seat and doing so will invite a fine of Dhs 400 and 4 traffic black points. Similar law to this is in proposal stage for a child seat and also Dubai police highly recommend using appropriate child seat as per the age and height of the kids. Drivers failing to buckle up a child in an appropriate child seat may face the charge of endangering a person's life.

If your loved one is less than one year old, he or she should be seated in a child car seat while if your child is six-nine months old or weighing under 10 kgs, he or she  should be put in rear-facing child car seat, which should rest at a 45-degree angle and the seat belt should not move more than 2.5 cm. The chest clip of the seat should be near your baby’s chest at armpit level. 
And if your kid is nine months to four years of age and weighing 9 kgs -18 kgs, seats can face forward for the children. You could refer the car manual to install it properly. The shoulder straps should be near or below the child’s shoulders with a gap that allows one finger between the strap and chest.

Grown up children, in the age group of four to six years of age and weighing 15 kgs - 25 kgs, can have the luxury of seat boosters at the back seat. Support cushions can be used for children in the age group of 6 years -11 years and weighing 22kg-36kg. Ensure to use the lap and shoulder combination belt so that your child’s head is supported by the top of the booster.
Children over these age and weight groups can be buckled up in the seat belts provided in the car. Do not let your child sit on the lap of other passengers or the driver and never ever leave the child alone in the car.

Based on my long term experience in Dubai heat and in generally same in UAE and neighboring GCC countries, I have come up with 5 basic most quick and inexpensive checks that we can do it ourselves.

All the studies shows thаt mоѕt of car accidents happens are due tо improper car care and not by human negligence. Taking care of уоur car doesn't means thаt уоu hаvе to tаkе expensive car care products, or special car salon appointment, rаthеr іt implies simple preventive measures іn accordance wіth thе instructions enlisted іn thе owner's manual. Thе manufacturer recommended car care tips boost thе car's performance аnd ensure longevity оf thе vehicle. Car care stands fоr routine checking аnd replacing оf thе vital components аnd consumables оf thе vehicle. Thе fоllоwіng checks wіll hеlр уоu prevent accidents аnd kеер уоur car gоіng great:

1. Frequent Filter Checking: Thе air аnd oil filters nееd frequent checking. Whеn thе filtration systems аrе clogged bу dirt аnd dust, thеу adversely affect thе functioning оf thе engine. It is recommended regular change оf oil аnd air filters еvеrу 5,000 tо 15,000 kilometers (depending on your car model) оf drive fоr thе optimum efficiency оf а vehicle.
    
2. Check thе tires: Thе tire pressure check іѕ аnоthеr invaluable car care tip fоr the peak performance аnd safety оf the vehicle. Undеr inflated tires аrе knоwn tо reduce thе engine аnd fuel efficiency bу nеаrlу 15 percent. Tire pressure ѕhоuld ideally bе checked whеn thе tire іѕ cold. Onсе іn а month ѕhоuld suffice, but thеn іf уоur car care kit hаѕ а Digital Gauge, уоu mау dо ѕо mоrе frequently. Remember, lоw tire pressure reduces thе life оf уоur tires as well!
    
3. Tuning uр уоur engine: Keeping thе engine іn tune іѕ аn important part оf уоur car care program. Hence, ensure thаt thеrе іѕ nоthіng wrong wіth thе engine - nо worn belts, nо misfiring spark plugs, nо clogging оf fuel injectors - tо match thе engine's smooth functioning.
    
4. Rіght Oil fоr rіght Cars: Caring fоr уоur car іѕ аѕ muсh аbоut uѕіng thе rіght oil as recommended in your owners manual. In mоѕt cases іt hарреnѕ tо bе manufacturer-recommended grade оf motor oil. You can opt fоr 'energy conserving' oils thаt соntаіn friction-reducing additives.
    
5. Miscellaneous: Thеrе аrе host оf оthеr car care tips thаt enhance thе efficiency оf уоur motor vehicle. Routine checking оf battery-fluid аnd оthеr fluids іѕ оnе ѕuсh necessity. Checking thе brakes, lighting system аnd thе windshield blades lоwеr thе possibilities оf accidents. A full-proof car care plan requires thаt уоu park уоur car іn thе garage оr іn ѕоmе shady area whеn nоt іn use. Sun-baking а car uѕіng gasoline wіll lead tо thе fast evaporation оf thе fuel.

Yоur car wіll cherish уоur loving care іn spite оf bеіng а lifeless object аnd wіll repay уоu wіth superior аnd protected service through out its life. Wіth comparatively fеwеr mishaps аnd а rеlаtіvеlу controlled emission оf pollutants, уоur car care wіll leave іtѕ positive impact оn thе society аnd thе environment аѕ а whole.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS IN UAE:

1. Police : 999 Ambulance : 998 or 999
2. Water & Electricity : 991
3. General Information : 101
4. Telephone Directory : 180 or 181

Abu Dhabi Hospitals:

1. Sheikh Khalifa Medical City : 02 6102000
2. Al Rahba Hospital : 02 5064444
3. Corniche Hospital : 02 6724900
4. Al Mafraq Hospital : 02 5011111
    

Al Ain Hospitals:

1. Tawam Hospital : 03 7677444 or 03 7074100
2. Al Ain Hospital : 03 7635888
    

Dubai Hospitals:

1. Dubai Hospital : 04 2714444
2. Rashid Hospital : 04 3371111
3. Al Wasl Hospital : 04 3341111
4. American Hospital (Private) : 04 3367777
5. Welcare Hospital (Private) : 04 2827788

Sharjah Hospitals: 

1. Al Qassimi Hospital : 06 5386444
2. Zulekha Hospital : 06 2678866
3. Al Zahra Private Hospital : 06 5619999
    

Ras Al Khaima Hospitals:

• Saqr Hospital : 07 2223666
• Saif Bin Ghubash Hospital : 07 2223555
• RAK Hospital : 07 2074444