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naveedh

What is the safe distance to be maintained from the car in front of me?

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

 

Edited by naveedh





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