Car Care and Roadside Emergencies

The lessons at a glance

1. Your five-minute car check: tyres, fluids and lights

Most breakdowns give a warning first: a soft tyre, a low fluid, a dead bulb. A short routine every few weeks, and before every long drive, catches problems while they are still cheap and safe to fix.

• Check every few weeks and before long trips.
• Tyre pressures when cold, to the handbook figure.
• Oil and coolant with the engine off and cold; never open a hot radiator cap.
• Walk-round light check with a friend.
• Recurring problems need a garage, not endless top-ups.

2. Tyres in GCC heat: pressure, age and blowouts

Tyres are the only part of the car touching the road, and UAE police warn every summer that heat raises the risk of sudden tyre failure. Knowing how to read a tyre's age and what to do in a blowout could save your life.

• Heat raises blowout risk: check pressure when cold.
• DOT date code: week then year, so 2322 is week 23 of 2022.
• Blowout: firm grip, no sudden braking, steer straight, ease off.
• Only change a tyre where it is truly safe.

3. Fuel, battery and overheating in a Gulf summer

A UAE summer is hard work for a car: the cooling system, battery and anything left inside all suffer. A few habits keep you from being stranded on a hot roadside.

• Test batteries before summer, especially older ones.
• Rising temperature gauge: stop safely, engine off, call for help.
• Never open a hot radiator cap.
• Lighters, aerosols, sanitiser and power banks do not belong in a hot car.

4. Breaking down: stopping safely and calling for help

Breaking down on a busy highway is frightening, and the greatest danger is often other traffic, not the car. Knowing the steps in advance lets you act calmly.

• Off the road, hazards on, everyone out away from traffic.
• Triangle behind the car only if it is safe to place it.
• UAE: call 999 for help on the road.
• Know your location: road, direction, nearest exit.

5. After a minor accident in the UAE: step by step

A small bump is stressful, but the UAE has clear processes, and most minor accidents can now be reported through official apps. Knowing the steps keeps you safe, calm and covered for insurance.

• Injuries: do not move the cars; call 999 or 998.
• No injuries: move to the shoulder and wait at least 15 metres away.
• Report through the official app or 901 (Dubai non-emergency) as applicable.
• Always get an official report before repairs or claims.

6. Car insurance and registration renewal in the UAE

Every year a UAE car needs valid insurance, a passed inspection where required and a renewed registration card (Mulkiya). Missing a step can leave you driving illegally without realising. This lesson is the practical renewal routine.

• Third-party cover is the UAE legal minimum; comprehensive also covers your own car.
• Check named drivers, excess and extras before buying.
• Insurance must cover the full registration period.
• Unpaid fines can block renewal: check early.

7. Borrowed cars, rental cars and ride-hailing safety

At university you may borrow a friend's car, rent one for a trip or rely on ride-hailing apps. Each has its own risks to your safety and your wallet.

• Check you are insured before borrowing a car.
• Photograph a rental car at pick-up and drop-off.
• Match plate, car, driver photo and name before getting in.
• Back seat, seat belt, share your trip, trust your instincts.

8. The real cost of running a car: a worked example

The price of the car is only the beginning. Fuel, insurance, registration, servicing, tyres, tolls and parking all add up, and fuel prices can change every month. Working out the full monthly cost helps you decide whether a car is worth it.

• Count every cost, not just fuel.
• Turn yearly costs into a monthly figure by dividing by 12.
• Cost per km makes comparisons with other transport easy.
• Fuel prices in the UAE change monthly, so recheck your budget.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

1. Your five-minute car check: tyres, fluids and lights
   • This week, with the engine cold, find the tyre pressure figures for a family car and check all four tyres at a petrol station.
   • Open the bonnet with an adult who drives and identify the oil dipstick, coolant reservoir, brake fluid reservoir and screenwash cap using the handbook.
   • Set a monthly phone reminder called 'Car check' and write a five-line checklist in your notes app.
2. Tyres in GCC heat: pressure, age and blowouts
   • Find the DOT date code on each tyre of a family car (including the spare) and work out how old each one is.
   • Next time you are at a petrol station early in the morning, check and correct the pressures on a family car with an adult.
   • Find out where the spare or repair kit, jack and wheel brace are kept in your family car.
3. Fuel, battery and overheating in a Gulf summer
   • Look at the temperature gauge in a family car and note where the needle normally sits once the engine is warm.
   • Empty a family car of lighters, aerosols, sanitiser and power banks, and pack a small summer kit instead.
   • Ask a parent or garage when the car battery was last replaced or tested, and note the date.
4. Breaking down: stopping safely and calling for help
   • Check whether a family car has a warning triangle and reflective vest, and where they are.
   • Find out whether the family car insurance includes roadside recovery and save the number in your phone.
   • Practise the phone script out loud once, using a real road near your home.
5. After a minor accident in the UAE: step by step
   • Download the official police app for your emirate (Dubai Police, Saaed or MOI UAE) on a parent's phone or your own, and find the minor accident option without submitting anything.
   • Make a note in your phone with the documents you must carry and where they are kept in the car.
   • Talk through with a parent what they would do after a bump in a car park.
6. Car insurance and registration renewal in the UAE
   • Find the registration and insurance expiry dates of a family car and put reminders in a calendar six weeks ahead.
   • Read a real car insurance policy summary with a parent and list who is covered to drive and what the excess is.
   • Check the official RTA or police app for your emirate to see how fines and renewal are shown.
7. Borrowed cars, rental cars and ride-hailing safety
   • Open a ride-hailing app you or a parent uses and find the trip-sharing and safety features.
   • Agree with a friend a rule for shared rides at night: who shares the trip, and who checks the plate.
   • Read the deposit and fuel terms on one UAE car rental website and write down three things you would check.
8. The real cost of running a car: a worked example
   • Fill in the worked example with real figures for a family car: the fuel price this month, the actual insurance and registration costs, and kilometres driven.
   • Work out the cost per kilometre and compare it with the public transport fare for one regular trip.
   • Check this month's UAE fuel prices and note how much they changed from last month.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

Answer key

1. A: Highway Code Annex 6: check weekly, before your journey, when tyres are cold, because warm tyres can give a misleading reading.
2. B: RAC: check your coolant levels when the engine is cold.
3. A: Reifen.com: the first two digits are the calendar week and the last two are the year.
4. D: South Australia DIT and the Highway Code: do not brake suddenly; grip the wheel firmly, steer straight and let the car slow down.
5. D: Gulf News (June 2025): slow down, stop at a safe point, switch the engine off, set up the triangle and call for recovery.
6. D: Gulf News: never leave water bottles, lighters, aerosols, hand sanitiser or electronic devices in a hot car.
7. D: Gulf News (April 2024): Abu Dhabi Police say avoid staying inside or near the disabled vehicle on the road.
8. A: Gulf News and Gulf Today: call 999 for assistance.
9. B: u.ae: for a minor accident with no injuries, move your car to the shoulder and wait for police at least 15 metres from your car.
10. B: u.ae: if anyone is injured, leave all vehicles where they are and wait for an ambulance.
11. B: Gulf News (March 2026): at a minimum, drivers must have third-party liability coverage for registration and renewal.
12. C: Gulf News: comprehensive policies usually come with a deductible, the amount you pay out of pocket before cover activates.
13. B: UPenn Division of Public Safety and Uber UAE: check that the plate, driver photo and name match the app.
14. A: UPenn Division of Public Safety: if you are riding alone, sit in the back seat.
15. C: 1,000 km is 10 lots of 100 km, and 10 x 8 litres = 80 litres.
16. B: 80 x 4.28 = 342.40. Price from Khaleej Times for Special 95, October 2026.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/car-care/