Overheating
On extremely hot days, be sure to keep an eye on the temperature gauge. If you're running hot, make sure to shut off the air conditioner and roll down the windows. If this doesn't lower the temperature, turn on the heater to get coolant circulating through more of the engine.

If the temperature rises beyond the normal range, stop the vehicle as soon as possible. Continued operation of an overheated engine will cause serious damage, so pull over to a safe place and raise the hood. Be extremely careful of radiator and hoses, which may be spraying steam and hot coolant. Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot.

If vehicle overheated because of a long hill or from sitting in traffic on a hot day, run the engine at a fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpms) until temperature returns to normal.

If there's coolant leak, broken belt or other malfunction, shut off the engine. After the engine cools, check coolant reservoir while engine is running and bring the vehicle to a dealer.

More Driving Safety Tips
Be meticulous and regular with your vehicle checks. Clean the front and rear windscreen, rear view mirrors daily. Visually inspect the tyres. Also, don’t forge to run a check on the wipers, head lamps, turn signal lamps. It is also a good idea to test the brakes for effectiveness. Listen for any abnormal noise from vehicle carefully and report immediately to your nearest Elegant Rent-A-Car office.

Observe speed limits. Don’t drink and drive - offenders can incur detention, severe fines, prison sentences and possible deportation.

If you have a motor accident, remain with your vehicle and immediately report to the police. It is an offence to leave the scene of the accident before the police have arrived.

Watch out for camels and sandstorms especially when you are on the highways outside city limits. Exercise caution especially when camels are trying to cross the road or are nearby the highway. It’s always a better idea to stop or slow down and let them cross or get away from your vehicle. Accidents involving camels can be quite fatal.

Oman is a mountainous and rocky land; you are advised to practice extreme caution while driving. Vehicles could appear at anytime, and the beaches could be impassable during heavy rains.

Seat belts should always be worn when driving. All passengers should be properly buckled up. Anyone caught driving without a seatbelt will be fined.

It is not advisable to travel at night or to travel alone. The roads are well maintained but they are not well designed. It is not really dangerous to drive in Oman but it is always good to be careful.

Driving in Oman can become very dangerous in the case of a slight rainfall. This is of course true everywhere, but the combination of very smooth roads and possibly, previous long periods of drought must be the cause of exceptionally slippery surfaces.

Emergency Assistance
Please contact the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in case you require any emergency assistance on the road or on the occasion of an accident. The ROP hotline number in Oman is 999. For more information, click here to visit the ROP website.