Motorway driving

OhMyGod123 · 08-10-2007 1:58pm #1

OK people, I've had it with us Irish and driving on motorways, I am sick and tired of driving the M1 every single day and watching idiots cruising in the overtaking lane!!! Will you people please please please learn how to drive on a motorway!!!!

To add it this you have the idiots who at the last second decide to hop from the far lane and slide into the slip raod for an exit,aahhhhhhhh, typical Irish!!!!!!

Then there are the northies who like to do a 100mph just cause there in the south. Stick to the speed limit please!!!!

mikemac · 08-10-2007 2:13pm

What nationality are you and they are all perfect drivers from there?

Reason I ask is you posted "you people" and "typical Irish".

TomTom · 08-10-2007 2:24pm

Instead of reposting, here is my rant.

OhMyGod123 · 08-10-2007 3:07pm

I am from Ireland and seem to be one of the few Irish people who now how to drive correctly on a motorway

Stark · 08-10-2007 3:26pm

Had an overtaking lane hogger get into a fit of road rage with me the other day on the M50 because I'd pull into the overtaking lane in front of her every so often to overtake a car (she was about 300m behind me with a tailback of cars matching my speed). Lots of flashing headlights from her well practised flicker finger every time I moved into "her lane" and a few flips of the bird when her exit finally came up and she decided to overtake me. I wish people would actually read that RotR book that they got in the post.

Ham'nd'egger · 08-10-2007 3:32pm

TomTom wrote:

Instead of reposting, here is my rant.

lol, very good. That bit with the BMW on the hard shoulder is priceless!:D

OhMyGod123 · 08-10-2007 3:37pm

I saw a new trick as well today, guy stuck in traffic decides to jump into an exit lane running parallel with the road and then jump back into the queue just to gain an extra hundred yards. Makes you wonder what people are actually thinking........A mile long tale back but 'Heh, I'll jump up a hundred yards, that will make all the difference!!!'

corktina · 08-10-2007 5:47pm

micmclo wrote:

What nationality are you and they are all perfect drivers from there?

Reason I ask is you posted "you people" and "typical Irish".

op does say"us Irish" too AND the you people refers to the hoggers. i think its fairly clear....

The standard of driving in Ireland is terrible and its the governments fault over the years....the problem is never going to be tackled until all Provisonal drivers HAVE to take a test or get off the road AND take (say) 10 lessons with a professional instructer before their test.....many of those who already have licenses shouldn't have...god alone knows how some of them passed a test....(many of them haven't of course..

transylman · 08-10-2007 6:50pm

What is the acceptable way for dealing with overtaking lane hoggers. I know the usual thing is to give them some flashes of your headlights but would it be alright to give them a few blasts with your horn as well?

spank_inferno · 08-10-2007 6:50pm

Aah very good Corktina!
Didnt take too long for someone to lay all blame on those with L plates.

If only there was a time that poor driving was caused by those with full lisences.... actualy no, there is! Every road Every day!

Agreed driver education is vital. But it doesnt stop when one's lisence is pink instead of green.
We've all been flabbergasted by the incompetance of motorists in ireland but it covers all types of road user.

I believe that there is a lot of people in this country who simply dont wish to be educated about the rules of the road. Its hard for government policy to get past many peoples ingrained "I know whats best for me" attitude.
We Irish also need to take responsibility for our own actions on the road

johnnyrotten · 08-10-2007 6:59pm

The problem is the roads are not policed

microgirl · 08-10-2007 7:15pm

I have to admit to being an "overtaking lane hogger", or at least driver, although it's mostly on the M50. This is because, weather and the like permitting, I actually like to be able to drive at 110-120Kmh. It's pretty much impossible to do this on the driving lane of the M50, as most people in there drive at about 80Kmh, and there's rarely enough room between cars to stick in the proper lane doing 110+ and pop into the overtake lane when you want to overtake. It'd be foolhardy and dangerous to try. So generally I just stick in the right-hand lane, because it's safer.

If there's a good clear gap in the driving lane, then I'm in, no question, or when some eejit in the overtake line drives up my bum when I'm *already* doing the speed limit. Not my problem if he wants to break the law, so I'll slip left at the first available opportunity. Though it's not always easy because, as mentioned, it frequently involves dropping from 120Kmh to 80Kmh, and trying to fit into the 50m between the two cars doing said speed in the left lane.

Ohhhh, driving in France was such a pleasure

Stark · 08-10-2007 7:21pm

In fairness, that's not really overtaking lane hogging. Overtaking lane hoggers are generally the ones driving along in the overtaking lane while the driving lane is either empty or has only a few cars with large gaps between them. Sometimes they're doing a good bit under the speed limit, sometimes they're doing the speed limit and are even more igdignant as they're "enforcing the law".

08-10-2007 7:24pm

transylman wrote:

What is the acceptable way for dealing with overtaking lane hoggers. I know the usual thing is to give them some flashes of your headlights but would it be alright to give them a few blasts with your horn as well?

Don't work! I came up behind one recently, I was in the driving lane (the left one

) and some was in the other lane so I moved into the overtaking lane behind her and did everything short of tapping her bumper, flashed & honked and positioning myself to her right so the headlight was in her mirrors, for a couple of miles before SHE eventually got the message.

No wonder there's road rage here, with drivers like that around.

08-10-2007 7:35pm

microgirl wrote:

I have to admit to being an "overtaking lane hogger", or at least driver, although it's mostly on the M50. This is because, weather and the like permitting, I actually like to be able to drive at 110-120Kmh. It's pretty much impossible to do this on the driving lane of the M50, as most people in there drive at about 80Kmh, and there's rarely enough room between cars to stick in the proper lane doing 110+ and pop into the overtake lane when you want to overtake. It'd be foolhardy and dangerous to try. So generally I just stick in the right-hand lane, because it's safer.

The left hand lane is MUCH safer because there is no pressure to get in front of the car in front, it's more dangerous to be the front car in a "train" (that is what you create when you live in the overtaking lane) touch the brakes and collect half a dozen in the boot!

microgirl wrote:

If there's a good clear gap in the driving lane, then I'm in, no question, or when some eejit in the overtake line drives up my bum when I'm *already* doing the speed limit. Not my problem if he wants to break the law, so I'll slip left at the first available opportunity. Though it's not always easy because, as mentioned, it frequently involves dropping from 120Kmh to 80Kmh, and trying to fit into the 50m between the two cars doing said speed in the left lane.

If you are going slower than the cars behind you you should give way to them, let them pass then overtake the slower ones in front of you again. That way you reduce the risk of multi vehicle pile-ups caused when cars bunch up because some idiot is blocking the overtaking lane.

BTW: I practice what I preach, 80-90% of the time I drive on the left, overtake then back to the left, leaving a good gap in front of me.

PS I learned to drive in the UK.

MrPudding · 08-10-2007 8:04pm

Van Large Sentry wrote:

If you are going slower than the cars behind you you should give way to them, let them pass then overtake the slower ones in front of you again. That way you reduce the risk of multi vehicle pile-ups caused when cars bunch up because some idiot is blocking the overtaking lane.

Yes, and she has said that she will pull over at her earliest convienience. You can't ask for more than that.

MrP

corktina · 08-10-2007 8:05pm

spank_inferno wrote:

Aah very good Corktina!
Didnt take too long for someone to lay all blame on those with L plates.

did you read the rest of my post or were you too busy replying....

the standard of driving is I said (to paraphrase) terrible due to lack of proper training....if you had read it, I also lambasted full license holders who are incompetant especially those who got their licenses without taking a test in the 70's or 80's (whenever)

08-10-2007 8:25pm

MrPudding wrote:

Yes, and she has said that she will pull over at her earliest convienience. You can't ask for more than that.

MrP

Yes fair comment, its mainly the ones that have an empty road in front and crawl past a car while collecting a "train" that cause the problems.

When traffic volumes reach a certain level the overtaking lane turns into a second driving lane as both lanes are full & going at the same speed. Under these circumstances the US rule of sticking to one lane and "undertaking" makes sense.

E92 · 08-10-2007 10:39pm

Have ye all forgotten, we don't drive badly at all, we just simply drive too fast, if we all just slowed down and stuck within the speed limit, we'd be a nation of great drivers.

We would easily reach the RSA's target of 250 road deaths pa if we all just went a few kilometres slower on our roads.

Things like overtaking on a blind bend, going through traffic lights when the lights are red, driving into yellow boxes, undertaking, excess road rage, barging yopur way into the incorrect lane, not actually obeying the directions the lane permits you to travel in (I'm thinking of where the left lane is for going left, and the right lane is straight on or going right, and where people decide to go right in the left lane here) sure they're not speeding, they won't cause any problems!:rolleyes:

Wishbone Ash · 08-10-2007 10:52pm

corktina wrote:

I also lambasted full license holders who are incompetant especially those who got their licenses without taking a test in the 70's or 80's (whenever)

Pre 1964 and October 1979.

Davidth88 · 09-10-2007 8:14am

Hi

Motorway driving standards here are pretty poor, you certainly see a lot of disregard for rules like :-

Driving on the left (ie sitting in the r/h lane doing 100kmh even though l/h lane is empty )

Stopping on hard shoulder

Driving on hard shoulder ( certain people feel it's their right to do this if there is a queue .... ohhhhhh they are soooooo important ! )

Not speeding up to the flow of the traffic when joining......I have had a few close calls where people in front of me just don't have a clue how to join a busy motorway.

Using head lights in poor visabiltiy

SLOWING down in poor visability ( think of the M7 in April )

Then you also see lack of ' thinking ' for want of a better word .

Not pulling into r/h lane if it's empty when you see a car coming down the slip road that will need your space to join , therefore forcing the joining car to either brake to go behind you or use the h/s to accelarate ( this is not taught or in the Rof the R , but it's common sense ).

Now of course no one takes formal lessons how to drive on a motorway , nor is it part of the test ( difficult to do after all some counties have no motorway ).

Maybe there is a case for driver simulators or something.

Fratton Fred · 09-10-2007 9:06am

Davidth88 wrote:

Now of course no one takes formal lessons how to drive on a motorway , nor is it part of the test ( difficult to do after all some counties have no motorway ).

Maybe there is a case for driver simulators or something.

or green L plates for the first six months or until a second test is passed, which includes a motorway test. Therefore people would need tessons on a motorway after they have a full licence.

My exeriences of driving here as opposed to England are:

1) the general standard is similar, but there are more really really bad drivers here dragging the overall standard down.

2) People are less aware of what is going on around them or general awareness of hazards.

3) In England people drive a lot faster on the motorways (But most are three lane and people are more used to it so are more disciplined) but people here seem to drive a lot faster around towns which is a lot more dangerous.

4) for some reason unknown to me, people indicate right when they are going straight on at a roundabout

Davidth88 · 09-10-2007 9:21am

Hi,

My exeriences of driving here as opposed to England are:

I was driving in England for 23 years .... the differences I find

England as you say people drive faster , as in the M40 if you are doing 75-80MPH you are being overtaken constantly.

The biggest differences , people in England are more aggressive but MUCH more predictable.. esp on Roundabouts....... but thats a different thread !

You get constant people blocking lane 2 on the motorways in England, Ill be interested to see how the M50 flows like when we hvae 3 lanes . My guess

lane 1 trucks , trucks and more trucks
lane 2 cars doing 100 kph
lane 3 people trying to do the speed limit, getting blocked by people doing 100kph

Fratton Fred · 09-10-2007 9:34am

Davidth88 wrote:

You get constant people blocking lane 2 on the motorways in England, Ill be interested to see how the M50 flows like when we hvae 3 lanes .

that's true, middle lane hoggers are still lane hoggers but you can get past them so they are less annoying.

RadioCity · 09-10-2007 11:35am

I think its unfair to say that "Northies" speed on the M1 because they can. While the can't get points (yet), they still can get an €80 fine. From experience of driving hundreds of times on the M1, its just general indiscipline and an inability to read the road ahead.

I agree that it is good manners to move into the right hand lane when another vehicle is attempting to merge. However, this isn't always possible when you are already being overtaken. The problem then lies with the merging vehicle who assumes right of way, forgetting that they must give way to traffic on the motorway.

The main problem is the way the various types of traffic use the motorway and this will never change without a bit of education. TV ad campaigns are good, but Radio advertising is better. Theyre fairly common in NI.

Heres some types of traffic you encounter on a typical journey:

Cars, content to do just about anything (legally) 50 up to 110-120km/h (some doing more but lets say we all obey the speed limit)
Buses and lorries technically restricted to 80km/h and to the left hand lane regardless
Double deck buses restricted to 65km/h
Tractors doing about 50km/h.

There is too many types of vehicle doing a wide variety of speeds which inevitably come into conflict with each other. And I haven't even begun to mention poor junction layouts, inadequate/misleading signage and road markings all of which contribute to some seemingly poor driving on the roads.

I was driving on the M2 into Belfast yesterday every bit of signage and road marking was totally consistent. Driving on the 10 lane stretch of the M2/M3 into Belfast looks much more aesthetically pleasing compared to complete mess that is the Dublin Airport to the Tunnel section for signage and road markings. How many times have you watched someone weave into the left when they realise they're about to go into the tunnel? I see it several times every day!

Stark · 09-10-2007 11:54am

RadioCity wrote:

I think its unfair to say that "Northies" speed on the M1 because they can. While the can't get points (yet), they still can get an €80 fine. From experience of driving hundreds of times on the M1, its just general indiscipline and an inability to read the road ahead.

Fixed fine isn't much of a deterrant really. Especially as they actually need to be pulled in order to get it, they don't have to worry about being snapped by GATSOs.

OhMyGod123 · 09-10-2007 1:41pm

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

LFCFan · 09-10-2007 3:28pm

All this bad driving isn't restricted to motorways. Regular Dual Carriageways should be driven on with the same rules, i.e. left lane for driving, right lane for overtaking. The Ashbourne Bypass is a pain some morning with lines of traffic in the overtaking lane and nothing in the left lane for half a mile. Morons!

steve-o · 09-10-2007 3:54pm

OhMyGod123 wrote:

I am from Ireland and seem to be one of the few Irish people who now how to drive correctly on a motorway

OhMyGod123 wrote:

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

Yes, it amazes me as well.

corktina · 09-10-2007 5:12pm

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Pre 1964 and October 1979.

thank you and I ALSO said it was the Governments fault, not prov license drivers..

corktina · 09-10-2007 5:15pm

OhMyGod123 wrote:

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

Last time I came to Dublin, I had the inside lane all to myself and undertook everyone.....yeah I know I shouldn't have but......

PS white van driver exempt from regulations....:rolleyes: :cool:

Motorway driving

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