Limits on car ownership and driving time: Ten new UAE traffic rules for 2027
The UAE will introduce key changes to its traffic laws from January 1 that aim to reduce accident rates, tackle congestion, offer greater protection to child passengers and limit the time drivers spend behind the wheel. The road legislation shake-up is central to the government's long-term safety drive as it seeks to keep pace with the demands placed on its growing transport network by the…
The United Arab Emirates will implement new traffic regulations starting January 1, 2027, with the aim of reducing accidents, addressing congestion, enhancing child passenger protection, and limiting driver time behind the wheel. These changes, part of the government's long-term safety strategy, are designed to keep pace with the demands placed on the transport network by a growing population. The key provisions include:
1. A maximum driving limit of nine hours per 24-hour period to prevent driver fatigue, affecting taxi, bus, and delivery service operators and employees.
2. A minimum age of 15 for obtaining an e-scooter permit, valid for three years, though Dubai's existing 16-year age restriction remains unclear.
3. Three types of permits for personal mobility devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and small-wheeled cycles, usable only on designated routes.
4. Mandatory safety features for e-scooters and e-bikes, including front and rear lights, audible warnings, functioning brakes, properly maintained tires, and tensioned spokes.
5. A requirement for drivers transporting deliveries to avoid carrying passengers and using backpacks, instead opting for approved equipment.
6. Mandatory use of appropriate safety seats for children aged four and under, installed in the rear passenger seats and complying with national standards, with exceptions for medical conditions.
7. The maximum number of vehicles one person can register is five, with an additional fee for registering or renewing the third, fourth, or fifth vehicle.
8. An option for owners of light vehicles to extend the registration validity from one to two years, subject to approval for new vehicles no older than six years.
9. Extended validity periods for driving licenses based on age and nationality, with UAE and GCC nationals seeing 10-year validity post age 21, and expatriate residents having five-year validity post age 21.
10. Stricter eyesight standards for drivers of certain vehicle categories, with licensing authorities potentially accepting eyesight examination reports from outside the UAE.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
