Hard Shoulder Drivers

Seth Brundle

I generally take the dual carriageway along past the Beacon (Kilmacud Rd?) as I head towards work in the morning.
Every day the hard shoulder is abused by people who want to go straight on or turn left. In the space of 3 or 4 minutes there were over 20 cars passing me only to squeeze back into my lane. All this invariably delays traffic driving correctly but also increases the risk of an incident.
Id love to see a garda on duty there but sadly even during Operation Freeflow none were to be seen here.
Would emailing the Garda have much effect?

KTRIC

Emailing the Gardai is like emailing God, you're unlikely to get a reply and if you do it'd be a f**king miracle.


The best you could hope for is that they meet the wrong end of an 18 wheeler when trying to merge.

mike65

K report the traffic as a hazzard by phone to the nearest Garda station, they might just take a look (of course they'll proberly want you name and number!).

Mike.

mikedragon32

KB, I used to drive that route to work everyday and know exactly what you're talking about.

I did see the guards in the hard shoulder there a couple of times last summer, and the snagged a couple of drivers who obviously couldn't make out the white car and gardaí dayglo jackets standing in front of it.

Dundrum is the local station for that stretch of road and junction if you want to give them a call.

Seth Brundle

Coming down it this morning, there were many cars pulling into the HS only to have to pull back because an artic was stopped in it.
As I approached the artic a woman driving in the HS indicated to move in front of me. I was damned if I was going to let her in and when she gestured her intention I made it clear that I wasn't going to let her in.
Anyhow, the car behind me let her in, she then passed the truck and went back into the HS, sped past me and broke the amber light to go straight on whilst I doing the correct thing stopped. There is no justice!

I think I will call Dundrum Garda Station!

Ham'nd'egger

People will reckon it is futile but you may as well report it to the Gardaí, then something MAY be done about it; if they get enough reports, then they will look at it (Especially if a few wings are dented around this stretch). It is one of the most dangerous manouvers that motorists pull off regardless of the legality of it; it deserves to be reported.

dmeehan

on the N25 in Cork, between the sarsfield rd and bandon rd roundabouts this was a major problem. this has been lessened by the occassional (about once a week) appearance of the gardai snagging the hard shoulder drivers.
they were even snagging the ones who had gotten back into the correct lane, albeit too late (for them).

fletch

kbannon wrote:

As I approached the artic a woman driving in the HS indicated to move in front of me. I was damned if I was going to let her in and when she gestured her intention I made it clear that I wasn't going to let her in.
Anyhow, the car behind me let her in,

I tend to accelerate to avoid people like these merging but then crawl by the hazard they are tryin to avoid which forces the car behind me to bunch up and stop the idiot merging in behind me.....petty I know but they really do my head in too

Seth Brundle

fletch wrote:

I tend to accelerate to avoid people like these merging but then crawl by the hazard they are tryin to avoid which forces the car behind me to bunch up and stop the idiot merging in behind me.....petty I know but they really do my head in too

I didn't have the opportunity to speed up as I was stuck in traffic. On this occasion, she pulled up beside me and gave me the "aah go on, let me in" look. I just shook my head to her annoyance.
Unless it was dangerous not to let them in then I will not let them in!

cor

I did some morning rush hour driving last September for a few weeks and used to listen to the traffic programme on Anna Livia FM. I do remember at the time people texting in complaining about cars driving in the hard shoulder and bus lanes, and the presenter saying they'd pass the info on to the Gardai.

Feachan

Suggest you email Garda Traffic Unit about persistent hard shoulder driving at gntb@iol.ie Itll get it on their radar

Feachan

lord lucan

one of the worst places i've seen this happen is on the M50 southbound just past the toll plaza. most days theres usually a que backed up on the far left lane of the traffic heading up the lucan exit,i often see cars continue from the plaza straight down the southbound lane and then try and cut into the line of traffic on the off ramp,apart from the fact that its extremely annoying seeing someone try to skip the que its also highly dangerous as most cars pick up speed after leaving the toll plaza and have to brake suddenly when they run up behind some dimwit trying to skip the que. i'm amazed there have'nt been more accidents!

steinbock

also happens reguraly at the M50 southbound N7 exit. there is only one lane and when it is full at rush hour people simply stop blocking the left motorway lane and wait to merge, and usually near the front of the queue as well.

jesus_thats_gre

Hmm I agree with the OP in general but I think that bitching about this case in particular is a poor one to pick out. The design is obviously flawed as the amount of traffic using the turn off would warrant the slip road going all the way back to the roadabout. The slip road should be twice as long as it is while still proving a hardshoulder a short distance after the roundabout.

PS: I live 5 mins form the junction in question.

Seth Brundle

@Feachan - they use an iol.ie address? I guess its in keeping eith the garda website!

@ Jesus - there are no slip roads there. Its a dual carriageway (with hard shoulder) going from a roundabout to a crossroads. The HS eventually turns into a lane for traffic wanting to turn left (only). The then centre lane is for straight on and those turning right towards the Business Estate.
The fact that the design is flawed is not an excuse for everyone to dive down the hard shoulder (irrespective of their eventual direction at the crossroads).