everyone speeding, no gardai around

mkennedy

hi.
just an observation i'd like to make.

i was driving back home this afternoon on the N18 Ennis to Limerick road and i must have counted 25 cars passing me doing atleast 120kph, some doing up to 140kph.

not THAT unusual, you might have thought, but this on a bank holiday weekend when the guards are meant to be on the roads. wasn't this weekend meant to have the biggest presence of cops ever on our roads?
i didn't see one.

i was genuinely amazed at how many cars were doing this speed on today of all days.
admittedly the road is a good one and 120kph isn't exactly dangerous on this road but it was still technically illegal.

but what got me more than anything was the mindset that they probably would never be caught.

i travel this route regularly and oddly enough i rarely see that many cars speeding on this route: you see a few doing 120kph and maybe one doing 140kph but today of all days it just seemed like everyone was speeding. i was left wondering to myself where everyone was rushing to. it felta bit like the gumball rally tbh.

i started to wonder to myself whether this was some peculiar feature of the irish mindset to speed even more if there's a risk of getting caught.

anyone else with a similar experience? i'd like to hear your views.

ninty9er

I totally agree. posted to that effect yesterday too

Hobbes

Coming home today was a fricken nightmare.

Coming onto the M50 from blanch north bound. I'm about to join onto the left lane. There is car behind me somewhat close and nothing at all in the right lane. Thinking "hmmm, hes a bit close but he should move to the right lane". Nope instead he guns it to over take me just as I am pulling out forcing me to swerve back into the hard shoulder or risk hitting him.

I wouldn't mind but the road was more or less empty (pissing rain though).

Then further on at the Finglas exit this car swerves almost 90 degrees over the white island part and back to get onto the exit lane causing another car to hit the brakes (I was well away from this).

A bit further on I overtake two cars when this wanker in a jeep comes flying up my ass while its pissing rain and starts flashing his lights like crazy. I'm already at the speed limit and I can't go to the left lane as it wouldn't be safe to do so. I couldn't even slow down as he was so close to me he would hit me.

Soon as it was clear to move to the left lane he shot off at easily 150kph.

Had another idiot stop on the N32 roundabout for no apparant reason.

you think people would slow down with the rain but everyone was fricken mental today.

Wishbone Ash

mkennedy wrote:

i must have counted 25 cars passing me doing atleast 120kph, some doing up to 140kph.

but what got me more than anything was the mindset that they probably would never be caught.

1. They may have been fitted with radar detectors.

2. Your speedometer may be reading way too low (most under estimate anyway).

3. The chances of getting caught are still very slim even on a bank holiday weekend.

junkyard

I was out and about today too and didn't see any cops around. I'd go as far as saying I never see any cops out at a long weekend...... with all there promises.:rolleyes:

mkennedy

whatever about the actual lack of garda presence and the fact that cars were speeding per se, it was the AMOUNT of cars speeding on a bank holiday weekend compared to any other day that really shocked me.

i just got the impression none of these drivers payed any attention to those announcements about crackdowns/enforcement etc, that's all.

anyone else notice such a curious phenomenon or maybe it was a once off.

junkyard

If people don't see a Garda presence on the roads they will take a chance, human nature really. Even if they sent more Garda cars out spinning around it would be a deterrent.
It just goes to show you can't believe a word these f**kers in government tell us, they're all too busy up at the Galway races probably spending our taxes as expenses.

Stark

I saw one garda car stop a girl on the road while I was on the bus on Friday. They seemed to be talking to her for a good bit, no sign of a breathalyser but she was wearing L-plates and on her own so maybe they were giving her a bit of a telling off over that.

Didn't see any yesterday or today and I was driving around a good bit.

miju

drove from dublin to wexford on friday night (so was half expecting a random breath test LOL ) and again back to dublin today , thought i saw one garda car today but when i got closer it was one of those paramedic cars

everyone seemed to be speeding pretty badly this weekend allright , i'll admit myself to doing about 125-130kmh on the M11 / M50 on the way down & back but they're were quite a few cars bombing by me even at that speed.

weekend blitz me arse

testicle

I drove 400 miles odd over the last 2 days, number of cops seen: nil.

Mailman

There are smaller music festivals on here and there; they're probably policing them this weekend.

musiknonstop

Travelling from Dublin to Cork on Saturday I saw overtaking on continuous white line, speeding (not unusual to be honest), dangerous tailgating, at Mitchelstown some idiot in an old BMW doing a handbrake turn onto the main street, L drivers overtaking dangerously.

It was worse than usual.

The number of Gardai: 1 driving patrol car in Mitchelstown.

"If you speed, we will catch you." Yeah right.

OMcGovern

It's like the migration of the wildebeast across crocodile infested waters......
Only a few hundred get caught compared with the hundreds of thousands who don't. A bigger deterant might be if you were caught speeding twice, then they install a sort of gps black box in your car, at your cost, then you're constantly monitored.

ninty9er

OMcGovern wrote:

It's like the migration of the wildebeast across crocodile infested waters......
Only a few hundred get caught compared with the hundreds of thousands who don't. A bigger deterant might be if you were caught speeding twice, then they install a sort of gps black box in your car, at your cost, then you're constantly monitored.

Smells unconstitutional to me. It's an idea, but I'd be against it.

miju

ah it's ok 99er chances of you or anyone getting caught slim and absolutely none

Hobbes

ninty9er wrote:

Smells unconstitutional to me. It's an idea, but I'd be against it.

Thought they were trying to do this years ago on all new cars. Never heard what came of it.

jayok

Hobbes wrote:

Then further on at the Finglas exit this car swerves almost 90 degrees over the white island part and back to get onto the exit lane causing another car to hit the brakes (I was well away from this).

Would you believe that I was the guy in the car that had to hit the brakes. I too was doing that route yesterday. On board the car was my wife and son - muppet could have taken out three other lives. Unfortunately this type of driving is all too visible IMO.

overdriver

Coming home from town last night, there was a bike cop sitting in a turn off off the Firhouse road with the speed gun clipped to his windscreen. He was sitting the calm as you like, hands crossed in his lap waiting on some muppet to speed. It's a 60 kph zone as it is, WELL fast enough. I hope he caught a dozen of them. That road is insane at night.

TempestSabre

To be honest its the same everywhere. Hardly anyone sticks to the limits.

Redrocket

i saw one garda car coming into mullingar on friday evening, they were thinking about stopping cars, but it appeared as if there were too many speeding and they couldnd stop any, the back log of traffic from even stopping one car would have been crazy

bazz26

Drove from Limerick to Tralee and back yesterday which is a 120 mile round trip. Noticed one or two cop cars but not one speed trap or check point. I did notice however that most drivers were keeping within the speed limits.

Drax

Drove from Dublin to Cork on Friday afternoon. Saw one speed trap and another pulling over. I thought it was good that here was some sort of presence but was annoyed at their locations - the first one was a bike cop hiding just over the crest of a hill on the Cashel bypass. A dual-carraigeway. The second was a garda car that had pulled some guy over on the dual-carraigeway at Watergrasshill. Why do they insist on doing people on the safest sections of roads?? There are so many dangerous sections of road on the cork road (although they are getting fewer) but they still seem to want to do people in the the easiest sections. I just dont get it. :mad:

Cantab.

Drax wrote:

Drove from Dublin to Cork on Friday afternoon. Saw one speed trap and another pulling over. I thought it was good that here was some sort of presence but was annoyed at their locations - the first one was a bike cop hiding just over the crest of a hill on the Cashel bypass. A dual-carraigeway. The second was a garda car that had pulled some guy over on the dual-carraigeway at Watergrasshill. Why do they insist on doing people on the safest sections of roads?? There are so many dangerous sections of road on the cork road (although they are getting fewer) but they still seem to want to do people in the the easiest sections. I just dont get it. :mad:

Was coming from Naas to Dublin last night (via Kingswood), got stopped three times and breathalysed twice.

Big Balls

I drove from Dublin to just outside Ennis on Friday and back again today and saw plenty of guards and two seperate incidents where people were getting points.

I also pressed on when I could, made good time, stuck to the limits in towns and villages and did nobody any harm! :eek:

Jumpy

jayok wrote:

Would you believe that I was the guy in the car that had to hit the brakes. I too was doing that route yesterday. On board the car was my wife and son - muppet could have taken out three other lives. Unfortunately this type of driving is all too visible IMO.

If either of you got the license plate number, you can report this guy in.
It is an offense with multiple witnesses.

kaizersoze1

Speed trap on the M1 today Northbound. First time Ive ever seen one on it.

Stark

Saw two gardaí in a car parked on the M50 just a few miles past the N4 exit going southbound. The traffic was backed up for about a mile coming towards them, barely moving at 20km/h, then once past them, the traffic returned to full speed. Seemingly the retarded drivers couldn't read the 1 on the 120km/h speed limit signs.

I saw another speed trap then driving up the N11 towards Dublin. Luckily I was going at the speed limit, but it would have been very easy to go over, especially as it near the bottom of a hill. I really hope they caught the prick in a Golf who had been driving nose to bumper behind me flashing his lights before finally overtaking me and shooting off at about 140km/h.

Anan1

Given a clear road and the right conditions, I'd often drive at well over 140km/h. I've been doing it for years, and still have no points and a 19 year NCB. Sure it's illegal, but it's not dangerous IMO.

Wishbone Ash

Anan1 wrote:

I'd often drive at well over 140km/h.

As my father would say "you'll only have one accident".

TempestSabre

Anan1 wrote:

Given a clear road and the right conditions, I'd often drive at well over 140km/h. I've been doing it for years, and still have no points and a 19 year NCB. Sure it's illegal, but it's not dangerous IMO.

Which insurance companies gives a 19yr NCB?

Wishbone Ash

TempestSabre wrote:

Which insurance companies gives a 19yr NCB?

I presume he means that he has not had a claim in 19 years.

TempestSabre

Cantab. wrote:

Was coming from Naas to Dublin last night (via Kingswood), got stopped three times and breathalysed twice.

What on earth were you doing?

Fey!

Didn't take to the roads much over the weekend (race week traffic in Galway = nightmare!), but had to head out to Craughwell this morning. Traffic was staying well below the limit, but I saw one guy pulled by an unmarked between Derrydonnell and Oranmore (100kph zone, wide road and good surface. However, long corner with iffy visibility for overtaking). Saw a different unmarked on the road on the way back in to town.

Talked to a couple of taxi driver friends earlier, who said they very little in the way of checkpoints (exactly 0, to be precise). Went across town late last night myself, and not a sign of a Garda car.

Has anyone heard the casualty number from the weekend, by any chance?

Stark

Anan1 wrote:

Given a clear road and the right conditions, I'd often drive at well over 140km/h. I've been doing it for years, and still have no points and a 19 year NCB. Sure it's illegal, but it's not dangerous IMO.

Do you also tailgate in an attempt to bully other drivers into doing 140km/h? That was my issue with the guy and why I'd love to have seen him caught. Other than that, I'm no Charlie Bird, I'm not pushed about the speeds people do on high quality roads.

And I mean what's with people who do the tailgating **** on a dual carriageway when they could easily move into the right-hand lane and overtake safely. I saw one guy doing it to someone on the M50, seemingly the reason he didn't just pull right was because his exit was coming up. If his exit was so close, you think he could have shown a little patience.

Wishbone Ash

Stark wrote:

Do you also tailgate in an attempt to bully other drivers into doing 140km/h?

He did say "on a clear road".

a clear road and the right conditions,

Stark

Fey! wrote:

Has anyone heard the casualty number from the weekend, by any chance?

I've only seen one report so far on breakingnews.ie. That was with an elderly woman who crashed into a wall.

Stark

Wishbone Ash wrote:

He did say "on a clear road".

I know. I wasn't making accusations, I was just pointing out that it wasn't calling the guy in the Golf because of the speed he was doing, rather his behaviour.

mkennedy

Anan1 wrote:

Given a clear road and the right conditions, I'd often drive at well over 140km/h. I've been doing it for years, and still have no points and a 19 year NCB. Sure it's illegal, but it's not dangerous IMO.

tbh Anan1 i feel myself that 120kph plus isn't necessarily always dangerous once that speed is appropriate to conditions and road / level of traffic. admittedly speed limits on some roads are ridiculous but that's another story.

but what really amazed me about the speeding i saw was these drivers were driving like this when there was meant to be a beefed up garda presence this weekend.
nobody seemed to think they'd get caught.

saobh_ie

Drax wrote:

There are so many dangerous sections of road on the cork road (although they are getting fewer) but they still seem to want to do people in the the easiest sections. I just dont get it. :mad:

It's down to thier equipment... I would imagine that the radar guns only work in big open clear spaces where the Gaurd can have a clear view and pick up cars in the distance easily with loads of time.

Also on the 'dangerous' sections of road its dangerous to be stopping people.

Dangerous bits of road have curves and junctions, lasers/radar don't work around corners and its dangerous to be pulling people over or even hanging around in junctions.

On narrow single lane roads where people do mad speeds, if they stop somebody there's nowhere to pull in. The only place they can safely enforce road safety is on the safe roads.

That's my take on it... which is why when I need to get somewhere fast I'll hoon out the back roads rather than take the dual carraigeway.

Sizzler

I saw ONE checkpoint this wkend, on Bolton St (Dublin city centre) at 8pm on sat night, as it happens I was heading down Capel St so needed to turn off, which I did, but I could have just as easily been locked and got away with it! What a stupid place to set up a checkpoint!

I heard of one other checkpoint around where I live last night but that was it. Did people see many this wkend? Will be interesting to see how many 'random' piss heads they caught this wkend :rolleyes:

numorouno

Drax wrote:

Drove from Dublin to Cork on Friday afternoon. Saw one speed trap and another pulling over. I thought it was good that here was some sort of presence but was annoyed at their locations - the first one was a bike cop hiding just over the crest of a hill on the Cashel bypass. A dual-carraigeway. The second was a garda car that had pulled some guy over on the dual-carraigeway at Watergrasshill. Why do they insist on doing people on the safest sections of roads?? There are so many dangerous sections of road on the cork road (although they are getting fewer) but they still seem to want to do people in the the easiest sections. I just dont get it. :mad:

this type of attitude maddens me. perhaps the lad they had stopped on the watergrasshill bypass had done something stupid before then and they were waiting to pull him in on a safe section of road so other road users wouldnt be endangered. the guards are critised if they are on the dual carrigways/motorways catching people cos its safe. then they are critised for not being on the dual carrigways when there are lunatics beeping and flashing lights to get you to move out of the way. they cannot be all things to all people. unless there is one guards for every driver on the road there will still be idiots who annoy us or drive dangerously. we all have to take responsibiltly for our own safety and welfare on journeys in the sense of anticipating what may happen and expect the worst. if this doesnt work then make a written complaint/statement of dangerous driving to your local station re the idiot you encoutered on the road. the more chance people perceive they will be caught for doing stupid things the less chance theyl do them IMO. also its up to us to educate ourselves and our children to be better, more responsible and safer drivers. i mean can we complain if we let a 17 out on the road with little more training than a run around a car park on a quiet sunday morning and expect them to be competant drivers. this is both our own and the governments responsibilty to resovle with competant driver training and better safer roads. the guards dont cause the accidents and fatalities its human error/bad judgement whatever.sorry for the rant but i feel ir we all took responsibilty for our own and our families driving and get the government to sort their end out then our roads would be safer for everyone

overdriver

Haven't the resident half-yards here already pointed out on several occassions that the reason for speed traps in these locations is the safety of the officers involved, and the public they pull over, as well as technical difficulties in speed guns locking on to cars on twisty roads?

Drove home from Cavan yesterday, with drivers overtaking on continuous white lines, blatant disregard of speed limits etc.

The closer I got to Dublin, the more beeping there was. People seem to be really put out by anyone driving at the limit, or slightly under, at times. Unreal.

A guy overtook me and a tractor pulling hay on the back roads from Lucan to Clonee, on a blind bend with a continouos white line, beeping like mad.

Idiot.

Big Balls

Well lads, two dead on the roads this weekend. Not *bad* all things considered.

And the weird bit?

One person in their 50s, the other in their 70s.

Wishbone Ash

kaizersoze1 wrote:

Speed trap on the M1 today Northbound. First time Ive ever seen one on it.

I regularly see one on it Between the Drinan and Donabate exits. It is also patrolled with unmarked cars.

Stark

Big Balls wrote:

Well lads, two dead on the roads this weekend. Not *bad* all things considered.

And the weird bit?

One person in their 50s, the other in their 70s.

There was a 3rd person killed in Ballymun, a 42 year old pedestrian.

Other than that, it's been a big drop off from your usual "10 people killed this bank holiday weekend" stories.

Fey!

Maybe the whole "we'll be out there catching you" scare tactic thing worked. If it did, fair play.

What was they figure for the August bank holiday last year?

OT - Overdriver; what's a resident half yard?

Big Balls

I was aware of the pedestrian but formed the opinion that it was a separate type of fatality.

Incidentally, there were 3 people killed last August bank holiday weekend in 2005. It would seem that people seem to think the guards are out more on bank holidays and it would seem to work because there's without doubt more people coming and going on the national routes on bank holidays but less people are killed.

unkel

Fey! wrote:

Maybe the whole "we'll be out there catching you" scare tactic thing worked. If it did, fair play

But it won't work the next time if people realise the Gardai were not "out there". Same as the penalty points, they worked for a while at the start until people found out they weren't gonna get caught

opus

Saw two guards on the road from Cork to Bandon yesterday, one was at almost at the roundabout at the end where it looked like a random breath test on cars coming into Cork, this was at 12pm in the day!

The other was a bike guard who had stopped someone on the same road but futher out, hanging out again on the good stretch of road I see. Once I got to the back roads of west Cork, no sign of the guards!

jlang

I went through three speed checkpoints over the weekend. All around Dublin - at Montrose on N11 outbound on Friday 4pm, Dundrum bypass at 2pm on Saturday and outbound on Naas Road at Newlands on Monday at 9pm. Was also breathalysed at usual speedcheck spot on N11 midday on Monday. Tester registered zero, but they were taking the guy in front down to the station because he failed (at lunchtime FFS!). So I definitely saw a Garda presence over the weekend.

TempestSabre

I'm impressed