Cassidy wants speed limit for foreign drivers

07-02-2008 3:25pm #1

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0207/roadsafety.html

Cassidy wants speed limit for foreign drivers

Thursday, 7 February 2008 13:05 The leader of the Seanad, Fianna Fáil's Donie Cassidy, has called for an 80km/ph speed limit to be imposed on all foreign drivers.[/B]
And he said that Ireland should maybe look at switching to driving on the opposite side of the road.
He said: 'I think that there should be a [80km/ph] speed limit put on anyone coming from another country that are going to use our roads, particularly from destinations where they are driving on the opposite side of the road.

'And maybe in time we should have a look here in Ireland at the possibility of changing and driving on the other side of the road.'
Mr Cassidy made the comments during the order of business in the Seanad this morning when a number of senators raised the issue of road safety.

Personally I think that this is a bad idea, anything that that forces traffic to go at different speeds on a single carriageway road is bound to increase the risk of accidents, anyway why did he refer to speeds in MPH (the reported article has done the conversion for him).[

Changing to driving on the right, would cause a massive increase in accidents while drivers get used to it. It would need to be done in conjunction with the UK otherwise there would need to be land boarder crossover points as well as mainland European drivers having to switch sides twice while driving via the UK.

djpbarry · 07-02-2008 3:28pm

Absolutely crazy idea.

How about we just enforce the already-existing laws? I suppose that's even more ridiculous?

invincibleirish · 07-02-2008 3:35pm

Deleted User wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0207/roadsafety.html

Personally I think that this is a bad idea, anything that that forces traffic to go at different speeds on a single carriageway road is bound to increase the risk of accidents, anyway why did he refer to speeds in MPH (the reported article has done the conversion for him).[

Changing to driving on the right, would cause a massive increase in accidents while drivers get used to it. It would need to be done in conjunction with the UK otherwise there would need to be land boarder crossover points as well as mainland European drivers having to switch sides twice while driving via the UK.

First Mary White with her old peoples driving licenses and now Donie Cassidy with this proposal are they actually trying to come up with the most retarded idea possible?

mike65 · 07-02-2008 3:36pm

How foreign is foreign? I'm foreign drive a RHD car and learnt to drive here. Bloody C&W politicians.

Mike.

Fratton Fred · 07-02-2008 3:37pm

and how exactly would he identify "Foreign " drivers? would they also need to put a big red F on the back and front of their car. What if they leanrt to drive in the UK, or Australia or Thailand and are used to driving on the left.

What if they were Polish but learnt to drive here, or the UK etc etc. What if
they were Irish and learnt to drive in Germany?

How exactly would the EU react to a law brought in that discriminates against other europeans.

I somehow don't think he has really thought about this one.

djpbarry · 07-02-2008 3:52pm

mike65 wrote: »

I'm foreign drive a RHD car and learnt to drive here.

Ah, but did you take the test for Irish people or the other one?

ardmacha · 07-02-2008 3:55pm

I somehow don't think he has really thought about this one.

Of course he has, foreigners don't vote. He doesn't expect anyone to seriously think about this, but it sounds good to people who don't think about it.

Changing to the right would have been a good idea, but it should have been done before all those complex motorways were built. As for the North, well the Catholics would drive on the right and the Protestants on the left.

dodgyme · 07-02-2008 3:56pm

Its great that the cream of our talent goes into running the country. mmm politicians?

mike65 · 07-02-2008 4:01pm

ardmacha wrote: »

Of course he has, foreigners don't vote.

Even thats not the case - UK peeps can vote in all except for the Pres and referendums, all EU citizens can vote in local elections BUT none of us unwashed can vote for the Senate. Aha!

Mike.

talkingclock · 07-02-2008 4:11pm

Cassidy - another clown in the circus!

paulm17781 · 07-02-2008 4:15pm

mike65 wrote: »

Even thats not the case - UK peeps can vote in all except for the Pres and referendums, all EU citizens can vote in local elections BUT none of us unwashed can vote for the Senate.

NUI graduates can.

machiavellianme · 07-02-2008 4:16pm

mike65 wrote: »

Even thats not the case - UK peeps can vote in all except for the Pres and referendums, all EU citizens can vote in local elections BUT none of us unwashed can vote for the Senate. Aha!

Mike.

What do you mean none of us can vote for the Senate?
Some of us can. (eek beaten to it)

Whats the story on Insurance for foreign drivers? Is it compulsory for them to get it while they live here? i.e. if they're here for more than a 2 week holiday?
If a foreigner runs into me without insurance, is my insurance company liable for everything?

And similarly, whats the story with road tax for that matter?

Chris_533976 · 07-02-2008 4:22pm

Switching to driving on the right. How stupid can you get. There were cases for swapping in other countries, but not here. Only if the UK drove on the right (which will never happen) should we.

Would you trust Irish drivers with another thing to think of?

whosedaddy? · 07-02-2008 4:27pm

As part of the EU harmonisation, Ireland will have to switch over to driving on the right hand side.
As with all those integration projects there will be a 2 year period where you can drive on either side.... :rolleyes:

jprender · 07-02-2008 4:28pm

What about if Foreign Drivers are allowed to drive on the right, and we Paddy's have to continue to drive on the left. That would work wouldn't it ?:rolleyes:

mike65 · 07-02-2008 4:30pm

paulm17781, machiavellianme I said the unwashed, not the privileged few

Mike.

bandit197 · 07-02-2008 4:41pm

OMG. This made me laugh out loud. So if both plans were implemented the so called
'foreign' drivers who may be driving LHD cars and have the best visibility for overtaking can only do 80kph.....whilst Irish drivers in their RHD cars would be at a disadvantage visibility wise. Can you imagine the mayhem on our roads if this came about. Roundabouts would be a free for all:D Sometimes I wonder how the likes of these people get into government....oh wait I forgot..we voted them in:eek:

07-02-2008 5:53pm

Lets compromise, everyone drive down the middle

mike65 · 07-02-2008 6:16pm

www.todayfm.com in a few mins, listen

Mike.

07-02-2008 6:43pm

Missed it by a few minutes, but heard all the jokes about a phased changeover, plus a few comments about Sweden (who changed in 1967).

The foreign drivers suggestions are considered stupid & racist.

Chris_533976 · 07-02-2008 6:48pm

TV3 just showed this fool on the news. He came across like a right tit

corktina · 07-02-2008 7:29pm

djpbarry wrote: »

Ah, but did you take the test for Irish people or the other one?

theres a test for irish people? nah...never heard of it

djpbarry · 07-02-2008 7:42pm

corktina wrote: »

theres a test for irish people? nah...never heard of it

:eek: You haven't! You don't drive, do you?!?

corktina · 07-02-2008 8:54pm

yes i drive and as a Limey I drive proper....

Stark · 07-02-2008 9:54pm

I saw someone with a pink license the other day. Anyone know what those are about? I asked him and he said they didn't sell them anymore, only the normal green ones...

07-02-2008 10:03pm

Sounds like an old UK one

Sellphone · 07-02-2008 10:20pm

When I read this , this morning, with my sleepy head on, I had to remind myself of the date, no , it wasn't the 1st April. Then I noticed RTE website had a photo of Donie, and no rug, no Des Kelly remnant! Story Bud? With arrival of spring did he decide to dispense with the head warmer? As for his suggestion about changing to right hand side driving, didn't one of those British 70s comedians have a joke about "the Irish are changing to right hand side driving, Kerry will do it on Monday, Cork on Tuesday, etc".We must look like right gobS4173s.:(

johnnyrotten · 07-02-2008 10:25pm

Changing to the Right - Imagine the border!

fricatus · 07-02-2008 10:35pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds like an old UK one

I presume you have tongue planted in cheek there... there's a fine line between knowing wit and knock-knock-knock-anyone-home thickness! Sometimes a smiley can do no harm...

colly10 · 07-02-2008 11:16pm

Thats honestly the worst idea i've heard in a long time. Will the speed cameras be updated so they can detect foreigners too? Impossible to implement, will definetly be ignored and the difference in driving speed would cause accidents if it was adhered to

08-02-2008 9:24am

fricatus wrote: »

I presume you have tongue planted in cheek there... there's a fine line between knowing wit and knock-knock-knock-anyone-home thickness! Sometimes a smiley can do no harm...

me thinks someone had a bad day at work!

fitzyshea · 08-02-2008 1:51pm

I cant believe he said this its STUPID! Just goes to show what kind of morons are working for this Country.:eek:

lostinsuperfunk · 08-02-2008 4:16pm

He was nominated for the Seanad by a Vocational Panel, so we didn't elect him, but he was elected by the people we elected! Seems like a nice way to give your useless buddies a cushy job for a few years.

The electoral college for the vocational panels are City and County Councillors, members of the new Dáil and members of the outgoing Seanad. The electorate consists of approximately 1,000 voters.

URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocational_Panels"]wikipedia.org[/URL

ardmacha · 08-02-2008 4:32pm

He was on the radio this morning, apparently he was only passing on ideas that came from councillors.

As for the drive on the right idea, I think Donie and his councillors should adopt it immediately and show us how it is done.

Imposter · 08-02-2008 5:44pm

lostinsuperfunk wrote: »

He was nominated for the Seanad by a Vocational Panel, so we didn't elect him, but he was elected by the people we elected! Seems like a nice way to give your useless buddies a cushy job for a few years.

URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocational_Panels"]wikipedia.org[/URL

Useless info time:
He was a senator for years before his time at a TD last time. The Westmeath constituency was redrawn last time to become WH/LD and he was put into north meath (or something like that). When he got into the Dail he managed to do it at the expense of Mary O'Rourke. Now that was a service to the people of Ireland even if he did nothing else

lostinsuperfunk · 08-02-2008 6:02pm

Aha, so his "compensation" for losing his Dáil seat back to Mary O'Rourke in 2007 was a seat in the FF chill-out lounge, oops, I mean the highest legislative body of the state.

As for the drive on the right idea, I think Donie and his councillors should adopt it immediately and show us how it is done.

Victor · 08-02-2008 11:03pm

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0208/roadsafety.html

Cassidy defends driving comments
Friday, 8 February 2008 13:07
Donie Cassidy is standing over his comments that Ireland should look at switching to driving on the opposite side of the road.

The leader of the Seanad has stood over his proposals on road safety.

During the order of business in the Seanad yesterday, the Fianna Fáil Senator and leader of the Seanad said Ireland should consider the move.

He also called for an 80km/h speed limit to be imposed on all foreign drivers.

He said this should apply particularly if the drivers are arriving from destinations where they are driving on the opposite side of the road.

'And maybe in time we should have a look here in Ireland at the possibility of changing and driving on the other side of the road.'

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, he said the proposals were aimed at stimulating the road safety debate.

MadsL · 09-02-2008 2:04am

TWAT!

Thought it was just Quinn Direct who thought with this twisted pseudo-logic.

Won't SOMEBODY get a grip in this country, for the love of god.

Between Gay Byrne and this idiot, oh sweet lord.

Could someone point out to these two idiots please that the vast majority of foreign drivers have actually PASSED a driving test. Now can we see the stats for Irish drivers, thank you.

1huge1 · 09-02-2008 11:52am

Ya remember reading the wikipedia article on the switchover in 1967
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagen_H
the picture at the bottom is hilarious like

I honestly see no advantage of changing to the right, so most of europe drive on the left, well the UK doesn't, austrailia and loads others, even india which is a country of a billion people.

after a bit of research I found this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right#Sweden

It says that 33% drive on the left and 66% on the right but at the start almost everyone drove on the left... America's influence

Cassidy wants speed limit for foreign drivers

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