Main sins of Irish drivers

markas · 15-11-2012 7:42pm #1

These are as seen by a foreigner

1. not respecting red lights (!!!)
2. not using adequate lights
3. speeding at dangerous roads
4. taming traffic at fast lanes
5. not using indicators
6. not respecting cyclists and pedestrians
7. stopping anywhere anytime

Much of it is part of Irish custom, I think, and probably is not even noticed (like point 1 - this is a serious offence, and one should lose driving lincense on the spot)

This is not to say that they are all bad, or there is no positives.

Wishbone Ash · 15-11-2012 8:10pm

markas wrote: »

1. not respecting red lights (!!!)
2. not using adequate lights
3. speeding at dangerous roads
4. taming traffic at fast lanes
5. not using indicators
6. not respecting cyclists and pedestrians
7. stopping anywhere anytime

8. Referring to roads as "dangerous". Roads are not dangerous but road users can be!
9. Referring to overtaking lanes as "fast lanes"!

Mister Jingles · 15-11-2012 8:34pm

The main sins of irish drivers are, not knowing how to use roundabouts and hogging the overtaking lane on motorways and duel carriageways. All of your points (with the exception of the cyclist and pedestrians part) are true but not to the extent of the two above.

Pessimist · 15-11-2012 8:57pm

Mmm... I don't see Irish drivers as being that different to drivers in other countries! The sins you listed are all too common everywhere.

I guess my biggest complaints would be the parking (cars parking anywhere & everywhere) and people being a little over courteous (letting people out when there is a queue of traffic waiting to get through at the lights/round-about).

RustyNut · 15-11-2012 9:42pm

The real sins are not from Irish drivers but those responsible for enforcing the rules. People get away with breaking red lights, driving in whatever lane they feel like, speeding passed cyclists leaving no safety gap and never any consequences. If drivers got fined or taught they might you would see a change in behaviour.

markas · 16-11-2012 12:14am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

8. Referring to roads as "dangerous". Roads are not dangerous but road users can be!
9. Referring to overtaking lanes as "fast lanes"!

By dangerous roads I mean:
- most of country roads with speed limit 80 and 100 km/h (regardless of real road layout and surfuce condition, extremaly poor visibility on crossings, lack of sidewalks or any safety buffer to the wall)
- many of exit roads from motorways (including the new built on M50, where a driver is forced to reduce from 100 to 30 in no time and without warning, normally such roads cannot be classified as motorways or allowed higher speed than 80)

By fast lanes I mean any roads with low speed limit 50km/h (motorways, dual carriage ways - by the way, stopping there for waste disposal or any other purpose should not be allowed!)

I could not find it in traffic regulations, but I suspect there is a rule that one should drive with speed adequate to traffic and road conditions, what in Ireland means: drive slow on 4-6 lane roads and as fast as your vehicle can on 4m narrow and curvy country road. Bizzare.

Edit: I do not know what is an 'overtaking lane'. I only know that Irish have aversion to overtaking so building designeted lanes for this purpose may be a waste of public founds...

Wishbone Ash · 16-11-2012 10:26am

markas wrote: »

By fast lanes I mean any roads with low speed limit 50km/h (motorways, dual carriage ways

There are no lower speed limits on Irish roads. You may be confusing that with the regulation regarding suitability of vehicles for motorways which states that a vehicle must have an internal combustion engine and be capable of travelling at 50kph.

You're making a lot of generalisations regarding Irish drivers. The same could be said of any nationality. I was hospitalised recently following an accident caused by a totally incompetent driver from an Eastern European country. However, I don't assume that all drivers from that country are poor drivers.

JoePie · 16-11-2012 1:01pm

Rubbish parking and indicating on roundabouts. There's a special place in hell for all those who don't indicate properly or at all on roundabouts.

Ranjo · 16-11-2012 1:03pm

Parking. Seemingly yellow lines are negated by hazard lights or proximity to your intended destination.

jdee99 · 16-11-2012 1:05pm

Common the world over but leaving the fogs lights on all the time

seamus · 16-11-2012 1:11pm

I'd probably say the biggest failings on Irish drivers in general are lane discipline (not just on motorways, but using right-turn lanes to skip the traffic or using bus lanes as queuing lanes, etc), parking, and mechanical skill - checking/using lights, proper gearing, proper braking, etc.

We don't drive particularly fast or dangerously.

The_Nipper_One · 16-11-2012 5:36pm

From what I can see in my short time on the roads, around 60% of drivers are guilty of one of 3 things: tailgating, impatients, and speeding.

Maybe it's just a lack of caution which comes with experience for a lot of drivers, but I have lost count of the amount of times I've been on an 80kmh road and had another driver no more than a few feet from my bumper.

Or, I will be approaching a change up in speed and have someone overtake me before the sign (is this not the most dangerous time to overtake as I am just in the process of putting my foot down?)

It's also a mystery of driving for me how a car from behind can get closer to me even though I'm doing a constant maximum speed for the road im on.

RacoonQueen · 16-11-2012 11:07pm

Ranjo wrote: »

Parking. Seemingly yellow lines are negated by hazard lights or proximity to your intended destination.

When you want to park or pull over in a stupid location your hazard lights are called park anywhere you like lights.

markas · 16-11-2012 11:34pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

There are no lower speed limits on Irish roads. You may be confusing that with the regulation regarding suitability of vehicles for motorways which states that a vehicle must have an internal combustion engine and be capable of travelling at 50kph.

Whatever call it, I hope it is not read as recommended. This speed is very dangerous on a motorway.

markas · 16-11-2012 11:42pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You're making a lot of generalisations regarding Irish drivers. The same could be said of any nationality. I was hospitalised recently following an accident caused by a totally incompetent driver from an Eastern European country. However, I don't assume that all drivers from that country are poor drivers.

Yes, this is generalization, with focus on negatives. I hesitated on using 'Irish drivers' phrase, but for the sake of brevity... In fact, 'Irish drivers' should be understood now as including Eastern Europeans, Nigerians and whoever you find here... (btw, note, that diproportional percentage of professional drivers are of non-Irish origin)

The post is more directed to learners - I am not sure what of these points are actually taught and what sins inhered..

Main sins of Irish drivers

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