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a driver flashing lights to move out of the way

2»

Comments

  • #52
    overshoot
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,224 ✭✭✭overshoot


    Wheelnut wrote: »
    Although it does not say so I would suspect that is a prohibition on lights that flash in a pattern so as to mimic an emergency vehicle, for instance you will often see emergency vehicles with the left and right headlamps flashing alternately.
    i thought they were the only ones who could use blue lights (dont ask me to quote anything though)
    although everything else seems to run orange/yellow
    although i know one recover truck with blue/pink


  • #53
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Thank you for your response.

    Must I move left on a dual carraigeway if approached from behind? How do you know? Where is that written down exactly?

    Thank you.
    RTFM - ROTR, RSA. HTH xxx

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=88970918&postcount=33

    Thanks to @Thall04 for links.


  • #54
    Boaty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 615 ✭✭✭Boaty


    Unmarked Garda car was on the N11 a while back, it was over taking a car when when another car comes up behind the Garda car and flashed it, Garda car flashed the blue lights and pulled the car over.


  • #55
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    Boaty wrote: »
    Unmarked Garda car was on the N11 a while back, it was over taking a car when when another car comes up behind the Garda car and flashed it, Garda car flashed the blue lights and pulled the car over.

    Wonder why?


  • #56
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Wonder why?
    Dangerous driving I imagine.


  • #57
    deandean
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,237 ✭✭✭deandean


    Absolutely yes you can flash your lights as a warning to other drivers.
    a couple of years ago on the M1 north I was behind some twat hogging the overtaking lane. I undertook him. I got pulled by the garda traffic corps! they said don't u.dertake but by all means flash the fast lane hog and even use the horn. if he doesn't wake up, the advice was to go to the left lane and call the hog in to the traffic watch phone number. unfortunately the hogs tend to get off. I want forward firing exocet missiles for my bus to deal with fast lane hogs.


  • #58
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    deandean wrote: »
    ... I want forward firing exocet missiles for my bus to deal with fast lane hogs.
    'I say Brian. Oh Brian, quick you'll enjoy this.'

    'What Stewie? I'm busy here licking my nutz.'

    'Some bus-driver dude thinks there's a fast-lane on Irish motorway-type roads'

    'So?'

    'Ain't no such a thing Dude, ain't no such a thing.'

    'So?'

    'I win again doo doo doo do, I win again ...'

    'Oh for Crissakes' Lick, lick lick ...


  • #59
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    CramCycle wrote: »
    Dangerous driving I imagine.

    Yet as Deandean says a Garda advised him to flash. So it could not be dangerous driving.


  • #60
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Yet as Deandean says a Garda advised him to flash. So it could not be dangerous driving.
    Well the Garda pulled him over for undertaking, what he recommended he do is report the car to traffic watch. In terms of the lights and horn, the Garda seems to say its OK to warn/advise the other motorist as they may have been/seem to be not paying attention so in this scenario it would have been for safety/warning etc.

    The dangerous driving I refer to (on the N11) could be a number of things, to close to the car in front, speeding, aggressive behaviour etc. but basically being a numpty and the Garda will find a rule that supports that opinion.

    EDIT: I also forgot to add that of course you are right, gardai are infallible and could not possibly make a mistake, like the time I got pulled over for no NCT in a Volvo P1800 from 1969 and the Garda did not believe me that it was exempt from an NCT.


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  • #61
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    CramCycle wrote: »
    Well the Garda pulled him over for undertaking, what he recommended he do is report the car to traffic watch. In terms of the lights and horn, the Garda seems to say its OK to warn/advise the other motorist as they may have been/seem to be not paying attention so in this scenario it would have been for safety/warning etc.

    And here is the conflict. As Boaty above refers to an incident where the Guards pulled over a car (presumably) for flashing them (in an unmarked car). We do not know why that person flashed the unmarked car-perhaps to move over? Perhaps to warn/advise?

    Yet you refer to the Guards saying it is ok to flash to warn/advise.

    I do not know if it is legal to flash a car still.


  • #62
    Stark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,035 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    bobwilliams wrote: »
    correct but by flashing lights the guy is behind is the biggest ass imo.

    there are a lot of brutal drivers out there,sometimes I see an oul dear in the OT lane,i just hold back,the days of flashing lights are well gone.

    Personally I think it's a good thing to educate drivers that they're in the wrong lane. Otherwise, the "oul dears" just cruise along for miles and miles with tailbacks of frustrated drivers behind them and that leads to problems.


  • #63
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,184 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    bobbyss wrote: »
    And here is the conflict. As Boaty above refers to an incident where the Guards pulled over a car (presumably) for flashing them (in an unmarked car). We do not know why that person flashed the unmarked car-perhaps to move over? Perhaps to warn/advise?
    We don't know, we can speculate but we don't know
    Yet you refer to the Guards saying it is ok to flash to warn/advise.
    I do not know if it is legal to flash a car still.
    Its not illegal as a safety warning AFAIK but could stand corrected. I am referring to a post not saying it myself. The gardai may not have pulled the car over for the flashing, he could have been travelling to close to the unmarked car, aka dangerous driving.


  • #64
    Boaty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 615 ✭✭✭Boaty


    Re my previous post
    The car who flashed the garda car was doing it to signal the garda car to get out of the way even tho the garda car had just overtaken another car.
    Driver was given a verbal warning and told not to flash someone to get out of way unless they are lane hogging.


  • #65
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    infosys wrote: »
    It's not a fast Lane it's an overtaking lane, was the person in the process of over taking another car if so he should complete if not he should not be in that Lane simples.

    Bother, whilst this is the letter, it's not what happens.

    But even taking your per the letter point, the OP should most certainly not have been hogging the fast lane as he was making NO attempt to overtake anything.


  • #66
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    Red Nissan wrote: »
    ... hogging the fast lane ....
    'Hey Brian, I say Brian. Brian, Brian. Brian, Brian. Hey wake up Brian. There's another guy who thinks Irish roads have fast lanes Brian. What do they teach them Brian, just what eh? Brian, Brian ...'


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  • #67
    Wheelnut
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 977 ✭✭✭Wheelnut


    Boaty wrote: »
    Re my previous post
    The car who flashed the garda car was doing it to signal the garda car to get out of the way even tho the garda car had just overtaken another car.
    Driver was given a verbal warning and told not to flash someone to get out of way unless they are lane hogging.

    You seem to know a bit about the motivation of the driver and what happened after he got pulled over. Is there a reason why you know these things? :D


  • #68
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    Red Nissan wrote: »
    Bother, whilst this is the letter, it's not what happens.

    But even taking your per the letter point, the OP should most certainly not have been hogging the fast lane as he was making NO attempt to overtake anything.

    No, no atempt to overtake. It was quite busy, the road was short. Traffic lights upcoming. The 30 or so cars ahead in the outer lane were also making no effort to overtake. I would imagine all of them (including me) were going straight and not turning left, otherwise we would be in left lane.

    Are all cars on the outer lane who are making no effort to overtake hogging the lane? Traffic lights ahead, inside laners usually turn left , outer laners go straight.


  • #69
    TonyStark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 851 ✭✭✭TonyStark


    bobbyss wrote: »

    Are all cars on the outer lane who are making no effort to overtake hogging the lane? Traffic lights ahead, inside laners usually turn left , outer laners go straight.

    Where did this happen? To the letter of the law you should not be in the outside lane and not overtaking slower moving vehicles.


  • #70
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    TonyStark wrote: »
    Where did this happen? To the letter of the law you should not be in the outside lane and not overtaking slower moving vehicles.

    The Quincentennial Bridge Galway going west. It is a dual carraigeway type road and less than a mile I would imagine. Coming to the Traffic lights the outer lane has a straight arrow and the left lane has a straight and left arrow.


  • #71
    The Dagda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,345 ✭✭✭The Dagda


    bobbyss wrote: »
    The Quincentennial Bridge Galway going west. It is a dual carraigeway type road and less than a mile I would imagine. Coming to the Traffic lights the outer lane has a straight arrow and the left lane has a straight and left arrow.

    Is there a solid white line separating the 2 lanes?

    If not, you have to keep to the left most lane whenever possible.


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  • #72
    JacquesDeLad
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 969 ✭✭✭JacquesDeLad


    I don't like aggressive driving but I think bad driving as expressed above contributes to it.

    I've retaliated to driving like this out of fury. A tail-back of 10 cars on the M1 in both lanes, on a motorbike I passed the lot on the white line (should never be done) and started cruising at 60kmph in front of the guy in the over-taking lane.

    That was bad behaviour on my part but it fixed the situation and relieved my anger.


  • #73
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    The Dagda wrote: »
    Is there a solid white line separating the 2 lanes?

    If not, you have to keep to the left most lane whenever possible.

    No


  • #74
    The Dagda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,345 ✭✭✭The Dagda


    bobbyss wrote: »
    No

    Well then technically you are supposed to keep left until just before the junction.

    If you can't move back into the left lane after overtaking then there's nothing you can do.

    Someone trying to force you to move is wrong and frustrating, but generally for your own sanity it's better to move over, if you can, and let them trouble someone else.

    You'll no doubt catch up to them again at the junction but at least you'll be calmer and less stressed than the other person.


  • #75
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,786 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    kevc2 wrote: »
    Is there not a minimum speed you can drive at on a motorway? There was a car in front of me travelling at 100, the same speed as me. He got close to the car and changed into the outside lane. There was a car in the outside lane when I got to him, I couldn't change lane and had to slam on. Driving at 50 on a motorway is extremely dangerous, I flashed him because he scared the crap out of me and that's the way I reacted. I was paying complete attention.

    No, there is no minimum speed limit above which you must drive at on a motorway. However your vehicle must be capable of driving at 50km/h on a level surface.

    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1977/en/si/0396.html


  • #76
    No Pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,347 ✭✭✭No Pants


    kevc2 wrote: »
    Is there not a minimum speed you can drive at on a motorway?
    I don't think so. There's a minimum speed that your vehicle of choice must be able to do; 50km/h, but there's nothing to say you must do that. However, a guard may decide that travelling at such a speed is careless or even dangerous.


  • #77
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    No Pants wrote: »
    I don't think so. There's a minimum speed that your vehicle of choice must be able to do; 50km/h, but there's nothing to say you must do that. However, a guard may decide that travelling at such a speed is careless or even dangerous.

    Does this mean that a guard will automatically pull me over if I am driving at 50km/h? Does it say in any Act that driving st 50km/h on a motorway is careless or dangerous?

    If there is no law about driving at 50km/h, how can the guard pull me over for driving at 50km/h once I am driving correctly and obeying all the rules of the road?


  • #78
    No Pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,347 ✭✭✭No Pants


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Does this mean that a guard will automatically pull me over if I am driving at 50km/h? Does it say in any Act that driving st 50km/h on a motorway is careless or dangerous?

    If there is no law about driving at 50km/h, how can the guard pull me over for driving at 50km/h once I am driving correctly and obeying all the rules of the road?
    There is a responsibility to keep up with the flow of traffic. I would say that travelling 70km/h slower than everyone else would not be keeping up, to the point where your lack of progress would be dangerous.

    Guards can be quite lazy, but I like to think that a guard would pull over anyone that he/she found travelling on a motorway at 50km/h.


  • #79
    Pro Hoc Vice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,087 ✭✭✭Pro Hoc Vice


    bobbyss wrote: »
    Does this mean that a guard will automatically pull me over if I am driving at 50km/h? Does it say in any Act that driving st 50km/h on a motorway is careless or dangerous?

    If there is no law about driving at 50km/h, how can the guard pull me over for driving at 50km/h once I am driving correctly and obeying all the rules of the road?

    There can be no hard and fast rule about driving at a speed below the set speed limit. In certain circumstances driving at 50kph on the motorway could be very reasonable depending on traffic conditions or weather conditions. I have had to like all other drivers in serious weather slow way down. But driving at 50kph on a motor way in good conditions could in my opinion be dangerous driving, if a person is having car trouble they should try and get the car to the next exit and leave the motorway.

    Someone with better maths than me may be able to correct my assertion, a car approaching a car travelling at 50kph when the second car is doing 120kph is closing in at about 20 meters per second.


  • #80
    DuckSlice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,887 ✭✭✭DuckSlice


    Anyone doing 50km/h on a motorway should not be on one. They will cause accidents, tail backs and frustrate many drivers. I don't always drive fast on a motorway but if a wagon or truck overtakes that is my indicator that I am going to slow. I think everyone should be able to drive at 100 km/h on a motorway - traffic obviously will effect this, but on 75% of our motorways it is unlikely there will be heavy traffic.


  • #81
    bobbyss
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,263 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    infosys wrote: »
    There can be no hard and fast rule about driving at a speed below the set speed limit. In certain circumstances driving at 50kph on the motorway could be very reasonable depending on traffic conditions or weather conditions. I have had to like all other drivers in serious weather slow way down. But driving at 50kph on a motor way in good conditions could in my opinion be dangerous driving, if a person is having car trouble they should try and get the car to the next exit and leave the motorway.

    Someone with better maths than me may be able to correct my assertion, a car approaching a car travelling at 50kph when the second car is doing 120kph is closing in at about 20 meters per second.

    I agree with a lot of this. but in good conditons and driving at 50kph-is it illegal? I understand your opinion about this but if the conditions are good and a guard stops me I would like to ask him:why have you stopped me? Have i broken some speed limint law? What law? Please tell me the law that I have broken Guard, I will pay my fine if I have.


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  • #82
    Pro Hoc Vice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,087 ✭✭✭Pro Hoc Vice


    bobbyss wrote: »
    I agree with a lot of this. but in good conditons and driving at 50kph-is it illegal? I understand your opinion about this but if the conditions are good and a guard stops me I would like to ask him:why have you stopped me? Have i broken some speed limint law? What law? Please tell me the law that I have broken Guard, I will pay my fine if I have.

    It could depending in the circumstances be inconsiderate driving, careless driving or even dangerous driving. It would be up to a judge to decide depending on the evidence presented by both sides.

    http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/act/pub/0025/sec0069.html

    I would believe many people would think driving at 50kph could be an issue.


  • #83
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    If you think you're in the way, you probably are


  • #84
    have2flushtwice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,415 ✭✭✭have2flushtwice


    This has decended in to chaos.

    Try coming out of the n4 toll in a not so powerful car. When you experience this using the eazypass lane, like me , its f.?! The seven series wit full beams on, i cant get out of ur way for a minute!


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