Portlaoise Toll plaza

johnos1984 · 20-01-2012 9:43pm #1

well folks,

left a few skid marks behind me at the express toll lane heading south bound at Portlaoise this evening at 6 ish.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience.

There was a car in front of me, about 4 car lengths ahead. They went through fine, the light stayed green for me and on I went. All of a sudden the barrier drops. I hit the brake but skidded on underneath narrowly missing the barrier. The car behind me somehow avoided hitting me also.

I suspect the car behind had no tag however I nearly suffered the impact due to this. It would seem more sensible to let everyone through and send a letter/fine later on rather than nearly causing an accident

Had the barrier dropped and hit my car (or had I hit it and been rear ended) who would have been liable?

Now I did get a pretty big shock when this happened and had to pull over and gather the contents of my trouser together before continuing on again.

I've contacted the toll bridge operators who have promised to review the video footage tomorrow and call me before lunch so I hopefully can give the reason for all of this hassle. In fairness to the guy on the phone he was pretty helpful and apologetic

MetzgerMeister · 20-01-2012 9:46pm

johnos1984 wrote: »

well folks,

left a few skid marks behind me at the express toll lane heading south bound at Portlaoise this evening at 6 ish.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience.

There was a car in front of me, about 4 car lengths ahead. They went through fine, the light stayed green for me and on I went. All of a sudden the barrier drops. I hit the brake but skidded on underneath narrowly missing the barrier. The car behind me somehow avoided hitting me also.

I suspect the car behind had no tag however I nearly suffered the impact due to this. It would seem more sensible to let everyone through and send a letter/fine later on rather than nearly causing an accident

Had the barrier dropped and hit my car (or had I hit it and been rear ended) who would have been liable?

Now I did get a pretty big shock when this happened and had to pull over and gather the contents of my trouser together before continuing on again.

I've contacted the toll bridge operators who have promised to review the video footage tomorrow and call me before lunch so I hopefully can give the reason for all of this hassle. In fairness to the guy on the phone he was pretty helpful and apologetic

Is it a possibility that a certain number of tagged cars can go through one after the other before the barrier closes again?

johnos1984 · 20-01-2012 9:51pm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Is it a possibility that a certain number of tagged cars can go through one after the other before the barrier closes again?

The barrier had only opened for the car in front of me and I kept a safe distance behind in case of any fault occurring for me. It was literally at the last moment it dropped

Frightened the bejaysus out of me as I wasn't expecting it. My speed was below 70kph as the car in front slowed down a lot

MugMugs · 20-01-2012 9:51pm

Can we just get the criticism of your driving and laying of everything that happened as being your fault out now to save it further down this thread ??

Happpened me on the M1 once.... I very nearly became one with the barrier.

Personally, I put it down to me going too fast though.

George Dalton · 20-01-2012 9:51pm

The same thing happened to me before. I reckon the car in front either had no tag or their tag didn't register for whatever reason, the barrier lifted after your tag was read and they drove through then it closed before you got to it.

johnos1984 · 20-01-2012 9:53pm

George Dalton wrote: »

The same thing happened to me before. I reckon the car in front either had no tag or their tag didn't register for whatever reason, the barrier lifted after your tag was read and they drove through then it closed before you got to it.

No the car in front was fine as the green light went for them and then me. I suspect the car behind me had no tag though.

Just seems a bit unsafe for it to close.

@MugsMug: I'm a perfect* driver

MugMugs · 20-01-2012 9:54pm

To be fair, I've had a good few Northern cars in front of me not tagged with no traffic behind me.

The barrier dropped for them and went up for me so not sure if you're right there George.

George Dalton · 20-01-2012 9:58pm

Well the time it happened to me there was no traffic behind me (just as well because my car has pretty serious stoppers and I would probably have been rear ended if there was someone behind me)

So the only conclusion I could come to was the lad in front of me had no tag.

Maybe the situation was different in my case but the end result was the same.

For Forks Sake · 20-01-2012 9:59pm

George Dalton wrote: »

The same thing happened to me before. I reckon the car in front either had no tag or their tag didn't register for whatever reason, the barrier lifted after your tag was read and they drove through then it closed before you got to it.

I've been tailgated through on numerous occasions by c*nts with no tags on their cars trying to get through after me. One lad in a beemer got the barrier square across the windscreen one morning when I gunned it. I was probably as far as Cashel before I'd stopped laughing.

Berty · 20-01-2012 10:00pm

Count yourself lucky it wasn't the Limerick tunnel. That place is a joke. It cannot handle more than one car at a time.

kona · 20-01-2012 10:04pm

pretty sure those lanes have a big 50kmph speed sign.

johnos1984 · 20-01-2012 10:09pm

Beer Baron wrote: »

Count yourself lucky it wasn't the Limerick tunnel. That place is a joke. It cannot handle more than one car at a time.

I've been warned many times about that one

Hopefully I'll have a definitive answer from them tomorrow

Portlaoise Toll plaza

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