Speed Traps

kaiphas

Anybody know where I can get a list of speedtraps in Ireland (used to be on speedtraps.ie.nu - but that appears to have vanished).

The other alternative is to drive around the country at breakneck and note the locations of the summons! But ideally a more cost effective way/list would be appreciated.

impr0v

http://www.eiremax.net/speedtraps/

seems a tad out of date though.

kaiphas

Thanks for that. I'll drive like a mad bastard in between all those points in your honour!

Cheers

pablo21

impr0v wrote:

http://www.eiremax.net/speedtraps/

seems a tad out of date though.

That site seems to be just copied from http://www.eiremax.net/speedtraps/, I recognise my submissions! Why dont you get yourself a radar detector?

Our man in Havana

Some bull **** on that site:

Durrow - At The Pedestrian Crossing in the Town, Speed cameras on top of traffic lights, One facing each direction

LOL!

Disclaimer:Eiremax & IRLMAX do not condon speeding or any other "illegal activities". Speedtraps doumented on this site are purely fictional and don't exist!!

wtf?

Dub13

Have you ever thought of just not speeding......!!!thats what most people do.

Our man in Havana

Dub13 wrote:

Have you ever thought of just not speeding......!!!thats what most people do.

Who was that dig directed at?

Daniel1

Dub13 wrote:

Have you ever thought of just not speeding......!!!thats what most people do.

I agree with you Dub13 !

Dub13

Bond-007 wrote:

Who was that dig directed at?

Anybody who puts the effort into looking up sites to find out were the speed traps are.If you just did not speed,you would save yourself time and maybe just maybe the roads would be safer.

impr0v

If you mean me, I only put the effort in cos he asked, had never even heard of it before.

On a related matter, nearly knocked a garda down with my bike this morning (pedal bike). He was hiding in a gateway along the N4 with no car and no reflective jacket on, and one of the hand held guns. He stepped out with the hand in the air to stop some guy in a new golf who didn't seem to be doing that much over 60, and nearly stepped in front of me coming the other way in the hard shoulder. I presume he had a partner in crime further down the road who would intercept the rare individual who didn't stop at the sight of some random oul fellow in a blue shirt and tie with his hand up in the opposite hard shoulder.

When I was coming back that direction met some eejit flashing everybody, I thought that narrow minded practice was dead and gone.

Victor

pablo21 wrote:

Why dont you get yourself a radar detector?

Because they are illegal?

Dub13

impr0v wrote:

If you mean me, I only put the effort in cos he asked, had never even heard of it before.

When I was coming back that direction met some eejit flashing everybody, I thought that narrow minded practice was dead and gone.

I did not mean any one person,just anybody who trys to beat the system...why not just slow down like the rest of us.

As for the flashing,it still goes on It happend to me on the old Airport road about a week ago,I must have got "warned" by about 5 cars.

John R

Dub13 wrote:

I did not mean any one person,just anybody who trys to beat the system...why not just slow down like the rest of us.

As for the flashing,it still goes on It happend to me on the old Airport road about a week ago,I must have got "warned" by about 5 cars.

I hope you shook your fist vigorously at them all :rolleyes:

Dub13

John R wrote:

I hope you shook your fist vigorously at them all :rolleyes:

No i did not but if it would make people slow down and save lives I would.Its clowns that try to find out were the traps are that kill people.

John R

Recently I saw an interview with a senior UK police chief who was all for the use of those GPS based in car speed check warning devices. His reasoning was that as the cameras and checks were placed at accident hotspots then a warning for drivers to slow down would be more effective at preventing accidents then letting them drive through the area at speed and fining them later.

PBC_1966

Dub13 wrote:

Have you ever thought of just not speeding......!!!thats what most people do.

Agree with you. O.K., I don't think anybody could honestly say that they've never accidentally strayed slightly over a limit from time to time, but that's very different to deliberately ignoring posted speeds.

The speed limits in the U.K. & Ireland aren't exactly onerously low to obey. What does need doing in some places though is to make them more consistent and re-assess the way rural limits are determined.

From my observations, Irish limits seem to be posted in pretty much the same way as the U.K., so you can get an absurdity where a busy stretch of main road had been reduced to, say, 50 mph, but when you turn off onto a narrow, twisty little back lane the limit increases back to 60. Crazy. :rolleyes:

There are also many villages here with a 40 limit which, IMHO, should be reduced to 30.

Victor

PBC_1966 wrote:

What does need doing in some places though is to make them more consistent and re-assess the way rural limits are determined.

That is part of the process. Guideline speeds are being adjusted (e.g. country lane default is 80kmh), but specific limits can be put in for specific circumstances.

jackal

For gods sake,
So many goody two-shoes-never-put-the-foot-down-in-my-life types in here. And saying that you will get somewhere faster if you drive slower does not make much sense. Speed is one of the smallest factors in motor accidents. It lags way way way behind agression, carelessness, bad judgement etc. Check this site out: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/ and you might learn something you didnt know about speed.

I speed any time I feel that it is safe to do so, and have never had a problem. I have never been stopped for speeding either.

impr0v

jackal wrote:

For gods sake,
So many goody two-shoes-never-put-the-foot-down-in-my-life types in here. And saying that you will get somewhere faster if you drive slower does not make much sense. Speed is one of the smallest factors in motor accidents. It lags way way way behind agression, carelessness, bad judgement etc. Check this site out: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/ and you might learn something you didnt know about speed.

I speed any time I feel that it is safe to do so, and have never had a problem. I have never been stopped for speeding either.

I might learn something if the cluttered, incoherent site layout didn't prevent me from reading any of it. Lobby groups should be banned from posting their manifesto on the intarweb, presuming that's what it is, until they can get someone with some sensible ideas about how to visually organise information to do it for them.

To say speed is one of the smallest factors in motor accidents is naive, especially in a country where the biggest single type of fatal road accident is single vehicle loss of control. The factors you mention, aggression, bad judgement, carelessness, etc. would be considered by most as primarily being contributory factors to excessive speed, rather than as identifiable causes of accidents on their own. Obviously someone as capable behind the wheel as your good self is exempt from the logic which inspires speed limits in the first place, you are allowed to drive at speed when you feel it's safe to do so. The rest of us however, recognise that within legal speed limits a driver is much better equipped to deal with whatever materialises on the road in front of them, is much less likely to lose control of their vehicle, and is much more likely to survive an accident should one occur.

PBC_1966

jackal wrote:

Speed is one of the smallest factors in motor accidents. It lags way way way behind agression, carelessness, bad judgement etc.

Where speeding amounts to a gross lack of concern for other road users, then I would call it aggression, carelessness, and bad judgment. No, I wouldn't put doing 65 instead of 60 on an open highway in that category, but those who seem to think it O.K. to blast through a 30 zone at 50+ certainly belong there.

impr0v wrote:

I might learn something if the cluttered, incoherent site layout didn't prevent me from reading any of it.

Yeah, that site isn't exactly the easiest to find your way around. It's very muddled with bits thrown in all over the place. As for their assertion that "Speed cameras cost 1000 lives per year," I would consider that absolute garbage.

I'm probably going to risk being put into the "goody-two-shoes" group by some for what I'm about to say, but here goes anyway. I think some of those who deliberately speed (and I mean well over the limit on purpose, not just accidentally straying a couple of MPH over) don't realize some of the reasons for speed zones in certain places.

A typical example, and based on a conversation I've actually had, is a long, straight main road. "I can see miles," the speeder says. "Nothing in front of me, what's wrong with driving 75?"

What about that little side road from which a car might emerge though? If one pulled out a couple of hundred yards in front of you, would you be able to stop in time?

"Ah, but I have right-of-way, he has to wait for me," is a typical response.

That is so, but if that speeder has never driven on that side road, what he might not realize is that when you're emerging from it visibility onto the main road is very restricted. That might be one reason for the reduced speed.

The driver on the side road can only see so far, and if it's clear as far as he can see, he pulls out. With that restricted visibility, an oncoming car driving within the limit will be able to slow down. If he's speeding, he may not have time. That's just one example of many.

And I'm sorry if I'm about to sound preachy, but quite a lot of people can be rather hypocritical over speed limits. I know of a good few who complain about traffic speeding through their village, yet when they get in their own car their happily ignore speed limits when driving through somebody else's.

allo1

To every one who want to drive like the hammers OF HELL were after you SLOW DOWN. It is my view that young drivers who drive over the limit cannot handle a car
and then every road user is in danger from these lunatic's.

impr0v

allo1 wrote:

To every one who want to drive like the hammers OF HELL were after you SLOW DOWN. It is my view that young drivers who drive over the limit cannot handle a car
and then every road user is in danger from these lunatic's.

But 'old' drivers who drive over the limit can handle it? There are plenty of lunatics out there who don't fit into the 'young' pigeon-hole.

jackal

The reason why people like me speed is this: a 30mph blanket limit is imposed to large areas, which - while appropriate for one part of the route, is probably not appropriate for the whole thing. Thats all - when the road/traffic conditions/likelyhood of a speedtrap allow me to go a little over the speed limit, then I do it.

I agree about the layout of the site, its not very good, but If you can overcome your webpage-layout-snobbery, there is some interesting info in there. I particularly agree with the general idea that speed traps seem to be put in place where they are likely to catch people speeding - rather than where an accident is likely to happen, or a blackspot.

mudflapgirl

impr0v wrote:

But 'old' drivers who drive over the limit can handle it? There are plenty of lunatics out there who don't fit into the 'young' pigeon-hole.

Hear hear - the ones in the Mercs who try and bully you off the road cause they think they have more right to use it then anybody else.
There was a case either here or in the UK (I can't remember which) of a man getting off on jailtime/fines for speeding. He was doing 100mph or so on a Motorway. His excuse? He had nearly 30 years driving experience, his car was performance car (ie made to be driven at high speeds) and he knew how to handle it. Pfft! Right.
I know someone who has that mentality - he drive's a Renault Laguna and has been cut out of more cars than he'd care to mention. Luckily enough he hasn't managed to kill anyone yet.

All that said. Some of the speed limits in this country need to be re-thought. There's a strech of road near me that was recently dropped to a 30 zone from a 60. I understand the need to drop it, it was a crazy stretch of road - but to 30?! Maybe 40 or 50. There's no schools on it, virtually no houses, good visability on most of it for ages etc. Now it's just frustrating sticking to 30 - still no-one really does - average speed has dropped to about 45 from about 65/70 though.

ToxicPaddy

There are some speed limits that are just crazy on some roads which make no
sense whatsoever.. But in saying that, there are a lot of people out there
who totally ignore them anyway, so no matter what speed limit is set they
are going drive whatever way they see fit.. and I would see that as one of
the ultimate forms of selfishness.. so what if they kill or maim themselves from
speeding, thats they decision and they will have to suffer the consequences
but why should some innocent pedestrian or driver get killed because some
assh*ole decides to speed... :mad:

Im no saint myself, and yes I do tend to drift a little of the speed limit every
now and again.. and most out there do tend to do that, but as someone here
said there is very little difference between 60 and 65 on a straight road with
good visibility.. however the clowns doing 50 in a 30 need to be taken off the
road for a good long stretch when they are caught..

A guy I know of was up in court for speeding in Limerick, but the offence was
35 in a 30, he stood up in front of the Judge and said that he has just come
from a 60 straight into a 30mph zone, he was caught by the garda about 100
yards inside the zone and his response was, I was obviously slowing down
and well in the process of doing so to the 30 limit and my 2 options were:

Watch my speedometer until i get it exactly right or watch the road while
slowing down and make sure I dont hit anyone or anything..

The judge dismissed the case...

However on another occassion, i was the second car to come upon a single
car crash, the driver was obviously speeding when leaving a 40mph zone, he
claims he swerved to miss something on the road, lost control, the car
went up a small embankment, over a ditch and into a field, rolled a few times
eventually landing on its roof about 20 yards in the field..

The driver managed to crawl out, badly shaken, cuts on his head and a
broken leg, however his mate was not so lucky.. the roof came down on him
and it looked like he had broken his neck, even tho he had his seatbelt on he
died at the scene and was only 21..

I was helping one of the first guys there get into the car to try and
resussitate him but there was nothing that we could do, we couldnt get him
out of the car, couldnt get into him as the doors were stuck, we managed to
crawl in through the windows on either side... but the passenger was dead
even before the gardai got to the scene..

Really brings it all home to you.. and it was even worse when the parents of
the dead guy arrived, they apparently only lived a few miles down the road
and the word go to them fast, his mum was so upset she couldnt even stand..

Something I will never forget..

Tox

PBC_1966

mudflapgirl wrote:

There was a case either here or in the UK (I can't remember which) of a man getting off on jailtime/fines for speeding. He was doing 100mph or so on a Motorway. His excuse? He had nearly 30 years driving experience, his car was performance car (ie made to be driven at high speeds) and he knew how to handle it.

There was a case here last year of a government official's driver getting away with speeding at 100+ on the motorway. I can't remember who he drove for now -- Might have been Prescott.

mudflapgirl

PBC_1966 wrote:

There was a case here last year of a government official's driver getting away with speeding at 100+ on the motorway. I can't remember who he drove for now -- Might have been Prescott.

Yeah there's been a few like that. I heard of another case of a man who drove some sort of highly desirable sports car. He was seen speeding (excess of 100mph) on the M1 (or similar) by undercover detectives who, naturally, gave chase. On noticing them, he didn't stop, continued to speed and drove quite recklessly to get away from them, driving on the hard shoulder etc. When he was brought to court over it he said that since he was driving a sports car which was desirable, and the detectives had failed to identify themselves as Gardai, he assumed they were trying to 'car jack' him for his car. Hence his evading them, excessive speeding and dangerous driving. He got off because it turned out they had failed to identify themselves as Gardai and so he was right to try and protect his car.

How the judge could justify it is still beyond me.

Victor

mudflapgirl wrote:

There was a case either here or in the UK (I can't remember which) of a man getting off on jailtime/fines for speeding. He was doing 100mph or so on a Motorway. His excuse? He had nearly 30 years driving experience, his car was performance car (ie made to be driven at high speeds) and he knew how to handle it. Pfft! Right.

Wasn't this a matter of the dangerous driving charge being thrown out by the judge and the guy still got done for speeding?

PBC_1966 wrote:

There was a case here last year of a government official's driver getting away with speeding at 100+ on the motorway. I can't remember who he drove for now -- Might have been Prescott.

Don't ministers have police driver with the discretion to speed? PBC, it's the norm here.

mudflapgirl wrote:

He was seen speeding (excess of 100mph) on the M1 (or similar) by undercover detectives who, naturally, gave chase.

Hmmm, so he was spedding at the start?

mudflapgirl wrote:

He got off because it turned out they had failed to identify themselves as Gardai

There is an obligation on the Garda to identify themselves and signal a driver to stop.

jlang

Victor wrote:

Wasn't this a matter of the dangerous driving charge being thrown out by the judge and the guy still got done for speeding?

No, all the charges were thrown out, but the guy did contribute E1500 to the poor box. So he didn't get any record or penalty points. One rule for those with sick parents and deep pockets, another rule ...

sceptre

Victor wrote:

Don't ministers have police driver with the discretion to speed? PBC, it's the norm here.

Don't they have to have a police escort to do that? No?

Victor

sceptre wrote:

Don't they have to have a police escort to do that? No?

Why would the police / Garda need a police escort?