Speed alert: Driving at 110km/h? You could still get fined for slow driving on this UAE road
Watch out: You could be driving slow in the fast lane without realising
Dubai: If you think you are driving within the speed limit if you are cruising at 110km/h on the E311 highway - double check your location. There are parts of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Road where you could get fined for driving too slow.
A new minimum speed limit of 120km/h was introduced on a stretch of this highway last year, and motorists can get fined if they fail to maintain the car's speed within the maximum and minimum limits.
Two lanes on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road – minimum speed limit 120km/h
If you are driving down E311 in Abu Dhabi, the two lanes from the left also have a minimum speed limit – 120 km/h. From May 1, 2023, Abu Dhabi Police introduced a fine of Dh400 for drivers violating the minimum speed limit requirement on the first two lanes from the left.
On January 29, 2024, the police authority reminded motorists of the need to drive above 120km/h if you are on the fast lanes.
"Drivers and road users driving at least than 120km/h will be issued a violation of 'driving a vehicle at a speed less than the minimum speed specified for the road, if any', with a valued of Dh400," the post read.
"The third and last lanes, whose speed is set at 140km/h, are permitted to be used by heavy vehciles and will not be subject to minimum speed violations," the post clarified.
How do I know what the minimum speed limit is?
Even on other roads in the UAE, minimum speeds are mentioned separately on signboards, especially on highways and main roads, to ensure that slow drivers do not become a traffic hazard. Keep an eye out for road signs and you will know what the maximum and minimum speed limits are. The minimum speed limit may be mentioned on a circular blue sign.
Driving within the speed limit is no reason for not giving way on the fast lane
If you are driving on the fast lane at 120km/h on a road which has the maximum speed limit posted as 120km/h, what should you do if another motorists drives up behind you at a faster speed? While many motorists might stick to driving on the fast lane, given that they are abiding by the speed limit, police authorities have regularly advised them to give way to a faster motorist, by moving to the lane on the right.
Dubai Police has issued basic guidelines that determine how motorists should use the fast lane, even launching a concerted campaign titled - #GiveWayInTheFastLane.
The five basic rules you need to know of when driving on the fast lane are:
1. Not giving way is illegal.
Keep the fast lane free, unless you re overtaking another vehicle, because refusing to give way in the fast lane is illegal.
2. Stick to the second lane.
Once you have used the fast lane to overtake, move to the lane on the right.
3. Make way, even if you are within the speed limit
In case a fast vehicle approaches you from behind, make way even if you are driving within the speed limit.
4. Don’t tailgate.
In case the driver does not make way for you, avoid tailgating and keep a safe distance from the other vehicle.
5. Emergency vehicles get priority.
Remember that the fast lane is only for overtaking and emergency vehicles always have priority.
The story was first published on June 5, 2023, and has been updated since.