Recovery comes after people are safe and the police side is handled. Work through these in order.
If anyone is hurt or the crash is serious, call 999 and leave the vehicles where they are. Police and an ambulance are dispatched together.
When nobody is injured and the cars can still move, Dubai Police ask drivers to pull over to the side so traffic is not blocked.
Photograph both vehicles from all four sides with the plates visible, and swap driving licence, registration and insurance information.
Small, injury-free accidents can be logged through the Dubai Police app or DubaiNow. If the drivers cannot agree who was at fault, call 999 instead.
Once the scene is safe and reported, a recovery truck can lift a car that should not be driven and take it to your chosen garage.
UAE traffic law does not allow a workshop to repair a vehicle showing signs of an accident without official permission, so garages will ask to see the police report before any panel is touched. Insurers such as GIG Gulf also state that a report is needed to open a claim. Keep a copy with you when the car is delivered.
Once a car digs in, more throttle only buries the tyres deeper. Stop, get out and look at what the wheels are resting on. Dubai Police advise adjusting tyre pressures before driving on sand and engaging four-wheel drive where the car has it; lowering pressure spreads the tyre and helps it float rather than cut in.
Scoop sand away from in front of each wheel, push recovery boards under the tyres and ease forward gently. If the car is resting on its chassis, stop before the clutch or gearbox overheats and let a recovery crew pull it back to firm ground.
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Now checking: Slid into a ditch
A wheel off the edge of the hard shoulder or a drainage channel can leave the car tilted and unable to climb out under its own power.
Ride up a high kerb and the underside may rest on concrete with the driven wheels barely touching.
A bent suspension arm or a jammed brake stops a wheel turning, so the car must be skated or lifted rather than rolled.
Engine failure on a busy road needs a quick, controlled pull to safety before any repair is attempted.
Pickups, vans and large 4x4s need equipment rated for their weight, whatever time of day they break down.
Whether a friend is helping or a professional crew is on site, these basics prevent injuries.
Tyre maker BFGoodrich gives the same guidance in its off-road recovery advice.
Not every recovery follows a crash. A seized engine, a snapped driveshaft or a gearbox stuck in park can strand a car as firmly as sand, and a car that cannot roll has to go onto the truck on skates.
Tell the dispatcher whether the wheels turn, whether the steering is free and whether the car sits on a slope. Those three answers decide what equipment comes out.
Most recovered cars go to a garage, an agency service centre or a workshop approved by the insurer. If the repair will be claimed, ask your insurer where they want the car delivered before it is loaded, as moving it twice adds cost.
The price is agreed before the job starts, so you know the bill whether the car travels a few kilometres or right across the emirate.
Check whether anyone is injured. If so, call 999 and do not move the vehicles. If it is minor and the cars can be driven, move them out of traffic and report it through the Dubai Police app or DubaiNow.
Share a pin and a quick description of where the car is sitting. You will get a price before the crew sets off.
