Standard of Driving getting worse

Our man in Havana

I am begining to think that the standard of driving has gotten worse in the last few months.

Everyone is driving very slowly and now it is a pain to drive into any urban areas.

Does anyone agree with me?

James

pclancy

id say the main reason for people stickin to limits in urban areas is the points system? certainly in dublin people take it well easier and tend to stay near the limits wheras before tearing around at 50 or 60 would happen.

the standard of driving in ireland has gotten worse and worse though. Its rare to drive anywhere now and not see or be in a dangerous position caused by some mad yoke overtaking dangerously or something. We need drivers ed class in school, more cops and more ad campaigns etc but thats all been said before. Knowing this place it will all be introduced in 2060 after spending years dithering over it all.

tinofapples

Any journey you make now you are very likely to meet a careless driver .

Take for example a 38 mile spin down to my girlfriends home last Saturday in Co.Galway , I lost count of how many drivers I came across driving carelessly : pulling out of juctions without stopping but worst of all c***s coming round bends in the middle or on the wrong bloddy side of the road , flying it .

These bloody b******* shouldn't be on the road.

Is it any wonder the death toll is so high with the likes of these a$$hole$ on the road ??

Coming in from Oranmore last night yet another example , an auld man walking along the coast road , had he any reflective gear on him ??? Had he hell

The deaths will continue , the worst thing about it is that good drivers are suffering because of the wreckless , careless ones !!

dcGT

This new "report bad drivers" system might help. It's a new scheme introduced whereby people who witness careless/dangerous driving can call a lo-call number to report the offence. I only heard of it today, apparently it was a pilot scheme in Kilkenny and Carlow and now it's going nationwide. Has anyone any ideas on how it will work? Surely it will be a case of the dangerous driver's word against yours?

Cheers,

DC

Silvera

That scheme is called TRAFFICWATCH, and by all accounts it is working very well.

From what I have read in the papers, if you observe dangerous/reckless driving (even people throwing litter from their cars) you simply call the number and a Garda will call to the home of the offender.
Apparently, in the majority of cases they are merely given a verbal warning about their behaviour.

However, some cases have gone to court and the people who observed the wreckless driving have been only too happy to give evidence.

I believe the scheme will go nationwide soon. (It started in Kilkenny and Carlow a couple of years ago).

It's a good idea. Simple and effective.

BTW, The number for TRAFFICWATCH is - 1890 205805.

Silvera.

mavedic

the problem with that trafficwatch thing is that if you want to report a reckless driver you have to go to court to give evidence. I know that I wouldn't be bothered in most cases to go to all that trouble...

Carnate

As with most things,its open to abuse by People with a grudge with another person!

Yes officer that merc was doing at least 70mph thru the estate, nearly killed some kids,

Officer comes to door, "Me doing 70mph? i was in work .. etc etc"


Big Brother in full swing?


You Decide!

ondafly

Traffic watch ? so you are supposed to use the phone while driving ? or write down the reg while driving ? mmm sounds like a good idea, and like everyone says this will definetly be abused.

Is there money being made on this by anyone ?

To be honest I think its a poor idea - but I bet some people will run up huge phone bills based on it !

Victor

Originally posted by Bond-James Bond
I am begining to think that the standard of driving has gotten worse in the last few months.

Yes, after an initial drop, the number of deaths is rising again, because people are being less careful.

Originally posted by Bond-James Bond
Everyone is driving very slowly and now it is a pain to drive into any urban areas.

If you mean people are driving slower then that is a good thing - virtually anyone hit by a vehicle over 40mph will be killed - at 30mph they have a reasonable chance of surviving.

Originally posted by dcGT
Surely it will be a case of the dangerous driver's word against yours?

It would be a matter of who is the more believeable witness, if it came to that. If there is more than one complainant or the driver has a series of complaints against them ...

Originally posted by Silvera
Apparently, in the majority of cases they are merely given a verbal warning about their behaviour.

It works much better when they use a work vehicle and have their boss and the Garda abusing them

Originally posted by ondafly
Traffic watch ? so you are supposed to use the phone while driving ? or write down the reg while driving ? mmm sounds like a good idea, and like everyone says this will definetly be abused.

No, stop, write it down, then phone.

Originally posted by ondafly
Is there money being made on this by anyone ?

Not really, other than in accidents prevented.

Originally posted by ondafly
To be honest I think its a poor idea - but I bet some people will run up huge phone bills based on it !

On a lo-call number?

Our man in Havana

Thanks for the input guys.

What I meant was that people are driving slow on Dual carraige ways in the national speed limit areas and motorway limits. I think that driving slow on a motorway is a receipe for disaster.

pclancy

the times someone has done somthing stupid and nearly killed my like overtake madly or something and I see them do something crazy i get so pissed off that i ring whatever garda station im near to and report him. Id say I've done it about 5 times and 4 of those times ive seen then pulled over and warned. Im always asked on the phone if i will make a statement and every time ive said yes but never heard anything after. I know i should be on the phone but i get so feckin mad that some idiot nearly killed me or pranged my car after me paying so much to insure it.

If they want to drive like idiots and you get a chance to get them in bother with the cops DO IT. Maybe, just maybe that word from the cops will slow them down and prevent an accident.

Trafficwatch seems like a great idea but ring the local copshop and they send whatever squad car is nearest to meet them, pull em over and give em a slap. And yes ive talked to other people whove done it and if the cop doesnt like the mad drivers attitude or finds something wrong with the car it will turn into a courtcase.

MadsL

I think that driving slow on a motorway is a receipe for disaster.

No. The old biddy that I saw yesterday who stopped dead on the M1 on-ramp and then turned RIGHT!! (think about it) is a recipe for disaster. At least people driving slow are going in the correct direction FFS!!!

ArphaRima

There has always been the ability to ring the gardai and report traffic offences. (I have done it a number of times- for drunken driving)
The problem now is that this bill empowers the middle aged housewives of Ireland with a complaint service against those they dislike, with the onus of proof on the accused. Just what we need.

Example: last week, leaving my estate, a woman was walking her kids towards the kerb, ready to cross the road. Along I come. She steps out in front of me, kids follow. I stop. Then she proceeds to shout at me for driving too fast. I ignore her and drive on. The speed i was doing: 15mph, she just misjudged the distance. If she rang the gardai and told them that i was doing upwards of 45mph and screeched to a halt in front of her kids, terrifying her, can you imagine my difficulty?

Silent Bob

Proof, if ever we needed it, that we need more traffic cops, not more cameras.

Cameras have certain applications, put them in an accident black spot, put up big signs and a speed limit and no one (apart from the real dumb idiots) will break that limit.

But a camera will never catch dangerous driving, nor will it tend to catch vehicles with specific speed limits.
They have this problem in mainland Britain. Artics have a speed limit of 50mph on motorways, they have to be breaking that limit by over 25mph before they get caught on camera.

Chimaera

Artics have a speed limit of 50mph on motorways,

They do here as well, on all types of roads. In fact, any vehicle with a design GVW of over 3500kg, or capable of carrying more than 8 passengers is subject to a blanket limit of 50mph here. The only exceptions are ambulances and fire tenders. Check out oasis.gov.ie for more info on this.

ArphaRima

Like many I've been doing 70mph on the motorway, and been overtaken by a heavy truck doing 80mph... go figure.

Turner

Originally posted by fluffer
There has always been the ability to ring the gardai and report traffic offences. (I have done it a number of times- for drunken driving)

Same here, Once on the way down to cork I was behind a very drunk driver travelling at 80mph in the middle of the road. With my mobile phone I was passed from Garda stn to patrol cars. He was eventually pulled at cashel. I stopped too and was informed by one of the Gards he could not even tell them his name he was so drunk. I probably saved his life and somebody elses (even if he did probably lose his licence/job/wife/kids)

Chief.

pclancy

nice one. its great satisfaction when they actually pull them.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Chief---
Once on the way down to cork I was behind a very drunk driver travelling at 80mph in the middle of the road. With my mobile phone I was passed from Garda stn to patrol cars.

Does that mean that
a) you were also doing 80mph and
b) using your phone at that speed? :eek: