Dubai: Tips to get your car out of a sand dune

Step by step guide

1. Turn your car off.
2. Get out of the car and check your tyres. Deflate them by more than half.
3. Press on the accelerator slowly.
4. Keep the RPM under two.
5. The car will slowly start moving.

The rules apply to both sedans and SUVs.



If stucked in the desert then call emergency numbers:

• Dubai Police: 04 229 2222
• Abu Dhabi Police: 999

Most of the UAE's soil is desert sand, so getting stuck is common in sand dunes of the Emirates.
In this situation, avoid panicking and accelerating, which makes your car sink more.

• Then next step involves deflating your tyres by more than 50 per cent to get more traction and the tyre becomes wider.
• Then, you should not increase your RPM over two and slowly push on the accelerator. The car will then start moving slowly.
• For SUVs, an important step is to shift the car to "4-low" instead of "4-high". 
• Another technique is to keep switching the vehicle from first gear into reverse.
• To avoid getting stuck in the first place, drivers should steer clear from any sand patches on the left or right hand side of the road. The best thing to do is step out of your vehicle, walk on the patch and check if it's hard enough to drive over.