Motorway driving

OhMyGod123

OK people, I've had it with us Irish and driving on motorways, I am sick and tired of driving the M1 every single day and watching idiots cruising in the overtaking lane!!! Will you people please please please learn how to drive on a motorway!!!!

To add it this you have the idiots who at the last second decide to hop from the far lane and slide into the slip raod for an exit,aahhhhhhhh, typical Irish!!!!!!

Then there are the northies who like to do a 100mph just cause there in the south. Stick to the speed limit please!!!!

mikemac

What nationality are you and they are all perfect drivers from there?

Reason I ask is you posted "you people" and "typical Irish".

TomTom

Instead of reposting, here is my rant.

OhMyGod123

I am from Ireland and seem to be one of the few Irish people who now how to drive correctly on a motorway

Stark

Had an overtaking lane hogger get into a fit of road rage with me the other day on the M50 because I'd pull into the overtaking lane in front of her every so often to overtake a car (she was about 300m behind me with a tailback of cars matching my speed). Lots of flashing headlights from her well practised flicker finger every time I moved into "her lane" and a few flips of the bird when her exit finally came up and she decided to overtake me. I wish people would actually read that RotR book that they got in the post.

Ham'nd'egger

TomTom wrote:

Instead of reposting, here is my rant.

lol, very good. That bit with the BMW on the hard shoulder is priceless!:D

OhMyGod123

I saw a new trick as well today, guy stuck in traffic decides to jump into an exit lane running parallel with the road and then jump back into the queue just to gain an extra hundred yards. Makes you wonder what people are actually thinking........A mile long tale back but 'Heh, I'll jump up a hundred yards, that will make all the difference!!!'

corktina

micmclo wrote:

What nationality are you and they are all perfect drivers from there?

Reason I ask is you posted "you people" and "typical Irish".

op does say"us Irish" too AND the you people refers to the hoggers. i think its fairly clear....

The standard of driving in Ireland is terrible and its the governments fault over the years....the problem is never going to be tackled until all Provisonal drivers HAVE to take a test or get off the road AND take (say) 10 lessons with a professional instructer before their test.....many of those who already have licenses shouldn't have...god alone knows how some of them passed a test....(many of them haven't of course..

transylman

What is the acceptable way for dealing with overtaking lane hoggers. I know the usual thing is to give them some flashes of your headlights but would it be alright to give them a few blasts with your horn as well?

spank_inferno

Aah very good Corktina!
Didnt take too long for someone to lay all blame on those with L plates.

If only there was a time that poor driving was caused by those with full lisences.... actualy no, there is! Every road Every day!

Agreed driver education is vital. But it doesnt stop when one's lisence is pink instead of green.
We've all been flabbergasted by the incompetance of motorists in ireland but it covers all types of road user.

I believe that there is a lot of people in this country who simply dont wish to be educated about the rules of the road. Its hard for government policy to get past many peoples ingrained "I know whats best for me" attitude.
We Irish also need to take responsibility for our own actions on the road

johnnyrotten

The problem is the roads are not policed

microgirl

I have to admit to being an "overtaking lane hogger", or at least driver, although it's mostly on the M50. This is because, weather and the like permitting, I actually like to be able to drive at 110-120Kmh. It's pretty much impossible to do this on the driving lane of the M50, as most people in there drive at about 80Kmh, and there's rarely enough room between cars to stick in the proper lane doing 110+ and pop into the overtake lane when you want to overtake. It'd be foolhardy and dangerous to try. So generally I just stick in the right-hand lane, because it's safer.

If there's a good clear gap in the driving lane, then I'm in, no question, or when some eejit in the overtake line drives up my bum when I'm *already* doing the speed limit. Not my problem if he wants to break the law, so I'll slip left at the first available opportunity. Though it's not always easy because, as mentioned, it frequently involves dropping from 120Kmh to 80Kmh, and trying to fit into the 50m between the two cars doing said speed in the left lane.

Ohhhh, driving in France was such a pleasure

Stark

In fairness, that's not really overtaking lane hogging. Overtaking lane hoggers are generally the ones driving along in the overtaking lane while the driving lane is either empty or has only a few cars with large gaps between them. Sometimes they're doing a good bit under the speed limit, sometimes they're doing the speed limit and are even more igdignant as they're "enforcing the law".

transylman

transylman wrote:

What is the acceptable way for dealing with overtaking lane hoggers. I know the usual thing is to give them some flashes of your headlights but would it be alright to give them a few blasts with your horn as well?

Don't work! I came up behind one recently, I was in the driving lane (the left one ) and some was in the other lane so I moved into the overtaking lane behind her and did everything short of tapping her bumper, flashed & honked and positioning myself to her right so the headlight was in her mirrors, for a couple of miles before SHE eventually got the message.

No wonder there's road rage here, with drivers like that around.

microgirl

microgirl wrote:

I have to admit to being an "overtaking lane hogger", or at least driver, although it's mostly on the M50. This is because, weather and the like permitting, I actually like to be able to drive at 110-120Kmh. It's pretty much impossible to do this on the driving lane of the M50, as most people in there drive at about 80Kmh, and there's rarely enough room between cars to stick in the proper lane doing 110+ and pop into the overtake lane when you want to overtake. It'd be foolhardy and dangerous to try. So generally I just stick in the right-hand lane, because it's safer.

The left hand lane is MUCH safer because there is no pressure to get in front of the car in front, it's more dangerous to be the front car in a "train" (that is what you create when you live in the overtaking lane) touch the brakes and collect half a dozen in the boot!

microgirl wrote:

If there's a good clear gap in the driving lane, then I'm in, no question, or when some eejit in the overtake line drives up my bum when I'm *already* doing the speed limit. Not my problem if he wants to break the law, so I'll slip left at the first available opportunity. Though it's not always easy because, as mentioned, it frequently involves dropping from 120Kmh to 80Kmh, and trying to fit into the 50m between the two cars doing said speed in the left lane.

If you are going slower than the cars behind you you should give way to them, let them pass then overtake the slower ones in front of you again. That way you reduce the risk of multi vehicle pile-ups caused when cars bunch up because some idiot is blocking the overtaking lane.

BTW: I practice what I preach, 80-90% of the time I drive on the left, overtake then back to the left, leaving a good gap in front of me.

PS I learned to drive in the UK.

MrPudding

Deleted User wrote:

If you are going slower than the cars behind you you should give way to them, let them pass then overtake the slower ones in front of you again. That way you reduce the risk of multi vehicle pile-ups caused when cars bunch up because some idiot is blocking the overtaking lane.

Yes, and she has said that she will pull over at her earliest convienience. You can't ask for more than that.

MrP

corktina

spank_inferno wrote:

Aah very good Corktina!
Didnt take too long for someone to lay all blame on those with L plates.

did you read the rest of my post or were you too busy replying....

the standard of driving is I said (to paraphrase) terrible due to lack of proper training....if you had read it, I also lambasted full license holders who are incompetant especially those who got their licenses without taking a test in the 70's or 80's (whenever)

MrPudding

MrPudding wrote:

Yes, and she has said that she will pull over at her earliest convienience. You can't ask for more than that.

MrP

Yes fair comment, its mainly the ones that have an empty road in front and crawl past a car while collecting a "train" that cause the problems.

When traffic volumes reach a certain level the overtaking lane turns into a second driving lane as both lanes are full & going at the same speed. Under these circumstances the US rule of sticking to one lane and "undertaking" makes sense.

E92

Have ye all forgotten, we don't drive badly at all, we just simply drive too fast, if we all just slowed down and stuck within the speed limit, we'd be a nation of great drivers.

We would easily reach the RSA's target of 250 road deaths pa if we all just went a few kilometres slower on our roads.

Things like overtaking on a blind bend, going through traffic lights when the lights are red, driving into yellow boxes, undertaking, excess road rage, barging yopur way into the incorrect lane, not actually obeying the directions the lane permits you to travel in (I'm thinking of where the left lane is for going left, and the right lane is straight on or going right, and where people decide to go right in the left lane here) sure they're not speeding, they won't cause any problems!:rolleyes:

Wishbone Ash

corktina wrote:

I also lambasted full license holders who are incompetant especially those who got their licenses without taking a test in the 70's or 80's (whenever)

Pre 1964 and October 1979.

Davidth88

Hi

Motorway driving standards here are pretty poor, you certainly see a lot of disregard for rules like :-

Driving on the left (ie sitting in the r/h lane doing 100kmh even though l/h lane is empty )

Stopping on hard shoulder

Driving on hard shoulder ( certain people feel it's their right to do this if there is a queue .... ohhhhhh they are soooooo important ! )

Not speeding up to the flow of the traffic when joining......I have had a few close calls where people in front of me just don't have a clue how to join a busy motorway.

Using head lights in poor visabiltiy

SLOWING down in poor visability ( think of the M7 in April )

Then you also see lack of ' thinking ' for want of a better word .

Not pulling into r/h lane if it's empty when you see a car coming down the slip road that will need your space to join , therefore forcing the joining car to either brake to go behind you or use the h/s to accelarate ( this is not taught or in the Rof the R , but it's common sense ).


Now of course no one takes formal lessons how to drive on a motorway , nor is it part of the test ( difficult to do after all some counties have no motorway ).

Maybe there is a case for driver simulators or something.

Fratton Fred

Davidth88 wrote:

Now of course no one takes formal lessons how to drive on a motorway , nor is it part of the test ( difficult to do after all some counties have no motorway ).

Maybe there is a case for driver simulators or something.

or green L plates for the first six months or until a second test is passed, which includes a motorway test. Therefore people would need tessons on a motorway after they have a full licence.

My exeriences of driving here as opposed to England are:

1) the general standard is similar, but there are more really really bad drivers here dragging the overall standard down.

2) People are less aware of what is going on around them or general awareness of hazards.

3) In England people drive a lot faster on the motorways (But most are three lane and people are more used to it so are more disciplined) but people here seem to drive a lot faster around towns which is a lot more dangerous.

4) for some reason unknown to me, people indicate right when they are going straight on at a roundabout

Davidth88

Hi,

My exeriences of driving here as opposed to England are:

I was driving in England for 23 years .... the differences I find

England as you say people drive faster , as in the M40 if you are doing 75-80MPH you are being overtaken constantly.

The biggest differences , people in England are more aggressive but MUCH more predictable.. esp on Roundabouts....... but thats a different thread !

You get constant people blocking lane 2 on the motorways in England, Ill be interested to see how the M50 flows like when we hvae 3 lanes . My guess

lane 1 trucks , trucks and more trucks
lane 2 cars doing 100 kph
lane 3 people trying to do the speed limit, getting blocked by people doing 100kph

Fratton Fred

Davidth88 wrote:

You get constant people blocking lane 2 on the motorways in England, Ill be interested to see how the M50 flows like when we hvae 3 lanes .

that's true, middle lane hoggers are still lane hoggers but you can get past them so they are less annoying.

RadioCity

I think its unfair to say that "Northies" speed on the M1 because they can. While the can't get points (yet), they still can get an €80 fine. From experience of driving hundreds of times on the M1, its just general indiscipline and an inability to read the road ahead.

I agree that it is good manners to move into the right hand lane when another vehicle is attempting to merge. However, this isn't always possible when you are already being overtaken. The problem then lies with the merging vehicle who assumes right of way, forgetting that they must give way to traffic on the motorway.

The main problem is the way the various types of traffic use the motorway and this will never change without a bit of education. TV ad campaigns are good, but Radio advertising is better. Theyre fairly common in NI.

Heres some types of traffic you encounter on a typical journey:

Cars, content to do just about anything (legally) 50 up to 110-120km/h (some doing more but lets say we all obey the speed limit)
Buses and lorries technically restricted to 80km/h and to the left hand lane regardless
Double deck buses restricted to 65km/h
Tractors doing about 50km/h.

There is too many types of vehicle doing a wide variety of speeds which inevitably come into conflict with each other. And I haven't even begun to mention poor junction layouts, inadequate/misleading signage and road markings all of which contribute to some seemingly poor driving on the roads.

I was driving on the M2 into Belfast yesterday every bit of signage and road marking was totally consistent. Driving on the 10 lane stretch of the M2/M3 into Belfast looks much more aesthetically pleasing compared to complete mess that is the Dublin Airport to the Tunnel section for signage and road markings. How many times have you watched someone weave into the left when they realise they're about to go into the tunnel? I see it several times every day!

Stark

RadioCity wrote:

I think its unfair to say that "Northies" speed on the M1 because they can. While the can't get points (yet), they still can get an €80 fine. From experience of driving hundreds of times on the M1, its just general indiscipline and an inability to read the road ahead.

Fixed fine isn't much of a deterrant really. Especially as they actually need to be pulled in order to get it, they don't have to worry about being snapped by GATSOs.

OhMyGod123

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

LFCFan

All this bad driving isn't restricted to motorways. Regular Dual Carriageways should be driven on with the same rules, i.e. left lane for driving, right lane for overtaking. The Ashbourne Bypass is a pain some morning with lines of traffic in the overtaking lane and nothing in the left lane for half a mile. Morons!

steve-o

OhMyGod123 wrote:

I am from Ireland and seem to be one of the few Irish people who now how to drive correctly on a motorway

OhMyGod123 wrote:

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

Yes, it amazes me as well.

corktina

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Pre 1964 and October 1979.

thank you and I ALSO said it was the Governments fault, not prov license drivers..

corktina

OhMyGod123 wrote:

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

Last time I came to Dublin, I had the inside lane all to myself and undertook everyone.....yeah I know I shouldn't have but......

PS white van driver exempt from regulations....:rolleyes: :cool:

corktina

OhMyGod123 wrote:

This morning was amazing, as I cruied in the left hand lane on the M1 I must have gone by at least 20 cars in the far lane that were just out there for the sake of it, it amazes me, the lack of responsability people on the roads are willing to take on to do things right.

Last time I came to Dublin, I had the inside lane all to myself and undertook everyone.....yeah I know I shouldn't have but......

PS white van driver exempt from regulations....:rolleyes: :cool:

OhMyGod123

Is there rule on Boards that stops us from naming (Make/Model/Reg) of vehicles that are taking the p*ss on the roads????????

corktina

corktina wrote:

Last time I came to Dublin, I had the inside lane all to myself and undertook everyone.....yeah I know I shouldn't have but......

PS white van driver exempt from regulations....:rolleyes: :cool:

Always a bit of a dilemma, illegally undertake or sneak up behind them and Honk & flash till they move. :mad:

Sometimes it's just easier to undertake.

Terrontress

Deleted User wrote:

Always a bit of a dilemma, illegally undertake or sneak up behind them and Honk & flash till they move. :mad:

Sometimes it's just easier to undertake.

It's not illegal to undertake if you are within the speed limit and the overtaking lane is moving more slowly than the speed limit.

The trouble comes when you move into the inside lane specifically to undertake.

I usually give a flash of the lights. Alot of people move over and then come back out once I am past and flash at me to get me back!

steve-o

Terrontress wrote:

It's not illegal to undertake if you are within the speed limit and the overtaking lane is moving more slowly than the speed limit.

I make up my own rules as well. But for some reason the Guards never accept my rules

fricatus

Fratton Fred wrote:

4) for some reason unknown to me, people indicate right when they are going straight on at a roundabout

And they do so from the left-hand lane of the roundabout, which confuses me even further!

mackerski

Terrontress wrote:

It's not illegal to undertake if you are within the speed limit and the overtaking lane is moving more slowly than the speed limit.

This is gear. Two people so far prove the OP's assertion that Irish people don't know how to drive on motorways, and one of them is the OP...

corktina

fricatus wrote:

And they do so from the left-hand lane of the roundabout, which confuses me even further!

i think they do this because people are so used to cars not indicating left to turn off that if you arent indicating something they ASSUME you are turning left when you steer to the left on entering the roundabout before steering right to go round it to the second exit....it emphaises that you arent going left I guess.....i just stick on the hazzards and close my eyes and hope for the best personally....

cyclopath2001

From RTE today:

Private security guards have shot and killed two women in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad....... It is understood members of the firm were escorting a civilian convoy through the streets and signalled for a woman driving a car to pull over as they passed.

When she failed to do so they opened fire, killing her and the woman next to her.

The M1 may be bad, there are worse places in the world.

Brian CivilEng

Davidth88 wrote:

You get constant people blocking lane 2 on the motorways in England, Ill be interested to see how the M50 flows like when we hvae 3 lanes . My guess

lane 1 trucks , trucks and more trucks
lane 2 cars doing 100 kph
lane 3 people trying to do the speed limit, getting blocked by people doing 100kph

AFAIK the M50 will have a 100kph speed limit post redevelopment. It was in the EIS somewhere...

I'm just a leaner driver myself (I'm 25, figured it's time to start), but my better half is from Scandinavia. It's such a breath of fresh air to sit in the passenger seat while she drives, cruises at about the speed limit in the left lane, a quick change to the right lane for overtaking and back in to the left lane with a good distance back to the car behind. I recon I've got a good teacher.

Chris_533976

OhMyGod123 wrote:

Sancadinavian

hahaha sorry but thats the worst attempt at spelling Scandinavian that I have EVER seen

DanceFever

I think woman are safer drivers than most men:p

jrar

microgirl wrote: »

I have to admit to being an "overtaking lane hogger", or at least driver, although it's mostly on the M50. This is because, weather and the like permitting, I actually like to be able to drive at 110-120Kmh. It's pretty much impossible to do this on the driving lane of the M50, as most people in there drive at about 80Kmh, and there's rarely enough room between cars to stick in the proper lane doing 110+ and pop into the overtake lane when you want to overtake. It'd be foolhardy and dangerous to try. So generally I just stick in the right-hand lane, because it's safer.

If there's a good clear gap in the driving lane, then I'm in, no question, or when some eejit in the overtake line drives up my bum when I'm *already* doing the speed limit. Not my problem if he wants to break the law, so I'll slip left at the first available opportunity. Though it's not always easy because, as mentioned, it frequently involves dropping from 120Kmh to 80Kmh, and trying to fit into the 50m between the two cars doing said speed in the left lane.

Ohhhh, driving in France was such a pleasure

I would have thought that anyone who drove for any length of time in France (or most European countries with a motorway network) would know only too well not to stay in the overtaking lane for a micro-second longer than is necessary, unless you want to be rear-ended at speed !

I've always noticed on French autoroutes that even large powerful cars tend to overtaken and pull back in to the right straight away, and IF the need arose to overtake more than one vehicle in the one manoeuvre, then it is standard to keep one's indicator on continuously to demonstrate to other road users that you're "staying" out in the overtaking lane a little longer etc.

I'm always surprised not to find more accidents involving Irish drivers esp. on sections of dual carriageway / motorway close to the French ports etc. given the way that so many drivers behave on our limited m-way network.

corktina

DanceFever wrote: »

I think woman are safer drivers than most men:p

statistically that appears so however I feel that if the mileage driven was factored in, men would be shown to be safer drivers....

BrianD

I was listening to Newstalk this morning and they were talking about motorway driving. Surprisingly neither presenter could speak with authority on the subject ... I would have thought that someone could check the ROTR. The read out a text from a driver who claimed he knew his stuff and that it was alright drive in the overtaking lane as long as you sat on the speedlimit. That's assuming the driver even knows the speedlimit!

corktina

BrianD wrote: »

I was listening to Newstalk this morning and they were talking about motorway driving. Surprisingly neither presenter could speak with authority on the subject ... I would have thought that someone could check the ROTR. The read out a text from a driver who claimed he knew his stuff and that it was alright drive in the overtaking lane as long as you sat on the speedlimit. That's assuming the driver even knows the speedlimit!

lots of people have that attitude I fear...however what my car shows at 120K/mh on the speedo might be 10% different to what someone elses shows....ie 12 k/mh...i think tyre wear etc affects the wheel diameter and therefore the speedo reading...so if I think Im doing 120k i MIGHT only be doing 108 and annoying loads of people. We're not Gards...move over and let 'em by.....

microgirl

Deleted User wrote: »

The left hand lane is MUCH safer because there is no pressure to get in front of the car in front, it's more dangerous to be the front car in a "train" (that is what you create when you live in the overtaking lane) touch the brakes and collect half a dozen in the boot!

One wonders did you actually read my post at all

I disagree that the left hand lane is safer when you wish to travel at or near 120kph (conditions permitting) and the left hand lane is predominantly driving at 80-90kph, as it would require you to weave in and out far too frequently. Obviously, if there's no-one IN the left hand lane, or distane between cars is sufficient that I can be in said lane for more than 30 seconds, then I drive in the left hand lane

If you are going slower than the cars behind you you should give way to them, let them pass then overtake the slower ones in front of you again. That way you reduce the risk of multi vehicle pile-ups caused when cars bunch up because some idiot is blocking the overtaking lane.

BTW: I practice what I preach, 80-90% of the time I drive on the left, overtake then back to the left, leaving a good gap in front of me.

PS I learned to drive in the UK.

And as I believe I said, I *do* generally allow cars behind me to overtake me (even though it means they are breaking the speed limit and thus the law) IF it is safe to do so. Again, if I'm driving at 120kph, the left hand lane is busy and travelling at 80-90kph, I can't pull in without significant danger. If I slow down sufficiently to slip into a relatively small gap at 80kph, then the speed-freak 5 foot behind me travelling at 140kph plows up my rear. Or alternatively pull in at 120kph and then have to slam on the brakes to try to avoid plowing in to the slow-poke in front of me.

There needs to be a sufficient space between cars in the left hand lane for me to be able to pull in safely, without having to significantly drop my speed. A small drop is ok, but it's not always a small drop (I try to squash the resentment I feel at being forced to drop my speed and slink in to the left hand lane just because I'm driving AT the speed limit rather than over it

Not sure what learning to drive in the UK has to do with anything. Some of the worst driving I've seen has been on UK motorways. And I don't believe there's a single person in that country that obeys the speed limit on big roads

corktina

theres no problem with continually changing lanes providing it is done safely and properley....thats why theres an overtaking lane.

You are quite right Micro girl (pleez tell me it isnt MICRA girl...) if you are in the overtaking lane at whatever speed that is Ok providing you are overtaking...if there isnt an oppurtunity to pull back in without reducing your speed due to dense slower moving traffic , then you shouldnt try....until a suitable gap presents itself.

Wishbone Ash

microgirl wrote: »

And I don't believe there's a single person in that country that obeys the speed limit on big roads

The thousands of drivers out there, who drive vehicles with an 85kph speed limiter fitted, would beg to differ!

Chris_533976

I obey the speed limits on 'big roads', even the new 60kmh sections on the N25 near the Amgen site.