Reporting dangerous driving

StillBallygowan

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone here has reported another motorist for dangerous driving to the Gardai before and what the response/follow-up was?

I am contemplating reporting a motorist (van driver) for dangerous and aggressive driving towards me this morning on the M50 driving Southbound.

Thanks.

Caoimhín

Yep, reported a lunatic on the N9 once, dangerous overtaking etc. Rang Carlow garda station (nearest town) they took details and number plate and said they would do something. I really doubt they did, i think the most they would do is get the contact details of the driver from the plate and ring him to warn him. Other than that i doubt they would bother trying to prosecute the driver.
I find the best thing is to laugh and smile at the idiot and leave it at that. Makes me feel better and annoys the mad driver.

Padraig Mor

StillBallygowan wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone here has reported another motorist for dangerous driving to the Gardai before.

Yes

StillBallygowan wrote: »

and what the response/follow-up was?.

Absolutely nothing.

6th

I was on the old bawn road back last summer and a old fiesta was crawling along. I passed it on my moped and there were 3 women in it and 4 kids.

The woman driving had a litre bottle of Blue Wicked in here hand, taking a swig of it. The woman in the passenger seat had a toddler standing on her lap. And the woman in the back with the kids was singing along very badly to the blaring radio. There wasnt much traffic but they must have been doing 10 mph.

I pulled over and rang the garda with the reg etc and he said he'd send a car striaght down. I was in a rush to get home so I didnt hang about.

RobAMerc

I am not sure if the Gardai could or why they would do anything if you reported someone.

You will be giving him an entirely subjective opinion of what dangerous act the driver is purported to have done.

Do you want to report him because he was aggressive towards you.

Can you explain exactly what was happening and show how he was being aggressive ?

I must admit I have had lots of people flashing me for what they saw as dangerous driving when I felt it was quite safe.

Riskymove

I was once told by a guard that they keep details of whats reported but there's not a lot you can do mainly because its a subjective report, your word against his kind of thing.

However the gaurd said that as they keep details if someone was reported more than once they would contact them to give a warning

There's not a lot else the law can do.

personally I have reported what to me seemed like a drunk driving his car at 3 a.m. or so but did not follow so don't know if guards intercepted him

Mitch Connor

Riskymove wrote: »

I was once told by a guard that they keep details of whats reported but there's not a lot you can do mainly because its a subjective report, your word against his kind of thing.

However the gaurd said that as they keep details if someone was reported more than once they would contact them to give a warning

There's not a lot else the law can do.

personally I have reported what to me seemed like a drunk driving his car at 3 a.m. or so but did not follow so don't know if guards intercepted him

A work mate of my brother was driving home from work one night, going fairly fast by his on admission on certain stretches of the N11. At one of the points where he was actually going the speed limit or under it, he saw a garda car parked at a bridge, which signaled for him to pull in. When he pulled in he asked the gardai what the issue was as he was not speeding (at the time) and they told him that they had got reports or a motorist speeding along that section of the road and that they had been waiting for him. As they didn't actually catch him doing anything, they gave him a friendly warning and sent him on his way.

So, sometimes the Gardai do follow these calls up, and quickly.

StillBallygowan

RobAMerc wrote: »

Can you explain exactly what was happening and show how he was being aggressive ?

I must admit I have had lots of people flashing me for what they saw as dangerous driving when I felt it was quite safe.

I should have stated he was also being aggressive to other motorists after me.

1. It was 6:30am on the M50 going southbound just after going through the toll bridge so traffic was heavy in both lanes. I'm in the right-hand lane keeping up with the traffic.

2. The van driver sat on my tail for a short while so I tapped the brakes

3. The van driver stayed off my tail then

4. A minute (maybe even less) later I saw in my rear view mirror the van speed up behind me with headlights flashing (traffic is heavy in both lanes, all doing pretty much the same speed). There's nowhere I can move to so they insist on tailing me again

5. Realising they can't go anywhere they cut into the left-hand lane tailing the car in front of them. I'm keeping my distance from the car in front of me when they decide to try and cut me up to get into the space no bigger then the size of the van itself! So I blasted them out of it. This goes on for 3 attempts. Realising they can't get anywhere they wait for a gap further up.

6. They proceed to weave in and out of traffic pretty much from the N7 turn-off to Sandyford exit.

richie_rvf

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

roughan

GENTLY pull up the handbrake
your brake lights do not come on but the car will slow a small bit
the person who is up your a**e will get the shock of their lives !!

alias no.9

I've reported a few different incidents over the years, one was dangerous driving which I reported in person in a garda station, I heard nothing afterwards, one by phone to 999 which was a car abandoned after hitting a wall on blackhorse avenue so I didn't really expect a followup and a dangerous driving incident more recently to the traffic watch line which was followed up by a garda at the local station and I'm expecting to hear more on that very soon. From my own limited experience, trafficwatch is the way to go for a dangerous incident because it starts a paper trail that must be followed up, it does take a little time and you need to have proper details.

alias no.9

roughan wrote: »

GENTLY pull up the handbrake
your brake lights do not come on but the car will slow a small bit
the person who is up your a**e will get the shock of their lives !!

The handbreak does not activate your brakelights.

Edit... oops should have read your post properly...

StillBallygowan

roughan wrote: »

GENTLY pull up the handbrake
your brake lights do not come on but the car will slow a small bit
the person who is up your a**e will get the shock of their lives !!

Unfortunately the handbrake is at my foot! I drive a Merc

StillBallygowan

richie_rvf wrote: »

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

So you wouldn't have a problem with a motorist driving up your arse thus forcing you to drive faster??

StillBallygowan

alias no.9 wrote: »

I've reported a few different incidents over the years, one was dangerous driving which I reported in person in a garda station, I heard nothing afterwards, one by phone to 999 which was a car abandoned after hitting a wall on blackhorse avenue so I didn't really expect a followup and a dangerous driving incident more recently to the traffic watch line which was followed up by a garda at the local station and I'm expecting to hear more on that very soon. From my own limited experience, trafficwatch is the way to go for a dangerous incident because it starts a paper trail that must be followed up, it does take a little time and you need to have proper details.

Do you happen to have the number for trafficwatch?

roughan

StillBallygowan wrote: »

Unfortunately the handbrake is at my foot! I drive a Merc

Still works use ur left foot on the brake then just use your right hand to release it
i had an e220 while my car was in the garage

Alanstrainor

richie_rvf wrote: »

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

You better be taking the piss. So tailgating is okay then?

vestanpance

richie_rvf wrote: »

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

How would that conversation with the gards go?

"I'm driving up the a*se of the car in front of me but he keeps tapping his brakes, don't know why but it's very dangerous"

bman

richie_rvf wrote: »

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

Would be very hard to say the person braking did anything wrong. That person could say they were braking coz they felt they were going too fast for the next corner.

Don't think you'd get very far with that one!

richie_rvf

I am not standing up for the van driver, clearly he was an idiot and should be reported but to give a brake check like that is also dangerous driving.

Fook the guy behind you, he will either get fed up or will eventually get by, let him on, report him if you feel the need and let the authorities do their jobs.

TwoShedsJackson

StillBallygowan wrote: »

So you wouldn't have a problem with a motorist driving up your arse thus forcing you to drive faster??

1890 205805.

Rang it twice, once to report some fool undertaking me in the hard shoulder of the M50 so he could reach the off ramp a second faster, another to report a car abandoned in the road near the Belgard Inn. Never heard anything about the first one but can only hope if they get enough complaints about a particular reg they warn him, not much else they can do.

The car was removed in less than half an hour in the second case although they probably had a fair few calls about that one as it was dangerous.

Run_to_da_hills

Just make sure you are not driving with a mobile phone in you hand while reporting these guys

richie_rvf

bman wrote: »

Would be very hard to say the person braking did anything wrong. That person could say they were braking coz they felt they were going too fast for the next corner.

Don't think you'd get very far with that one!

I witnessed an accident which was caused by exactly that behaviour, the knock on effect of giving a brake check in heavy traffic is that the time to re-act for each driver behind who will also need to brake gets shorter and shorter - all because someone got annoyed by another drivers antics.

This is very much along the lines of numerous other threads here - none of us have the right to tell others how to drive, that is up to the authorities, that is the reason for phone numbers such as traffic watch.

If you felt that you must make a point to the idiot behind why not put your hazards on??

DubLegs

richie_rvf wrote: »

If you felt that you must make a point to the idiot behind why not put your hazards on??

Would that not just confuse the other drivers around or cause an accident by people trying to figure out wats wrong? I mean if they don't know there is some fool being dangerous behind you.

richie_rvf

DubLegs wrote: »

Would that not just confuse the other drivers around or cause an accident by people trying to figure out wats wrong? I mean if they don't know there is some fool being dangerous behind you.

I said that if he 'felt' he needed to do something, surely turning on your hazzards is not as dangerous as suddenly braking??

And who, other than the twit in the van, is going to see the hazards??

DubLegs

richie_rvf wrote: »

I said that if he 'felt' he needed to do something, surely turning on your hazzards is not as dangerous as suddenly braking??

And who, other than the twit in the van, is going to see the hazards??

Person in front of the driver and those cars that may see it in the through side mirrors etc!
IMHO - I know I'd be curious and if not slightly worried as to why the person behind me has the hazzards on all of a shot! Is there something wrong with my car that i can't see?
I do understand for the reasons of the guy behind.

MarkR

Rang traffic watch last week when some guy overtook past me and six others waiting at a red light (stop-go for contruction). Local gardai called me back the following week asking would I be willing to make a statement, I said I could in my local station. Then they advised that I would have to be willing to go to court if it went to trial. I can't take time off work so they advised they would just caution the guy.

Andrewf20

I overtook a mildly done up Audi A4 doing 50 in a 60mph on a downhill straight in Letterkenny yesterday. The guy then decides to tailgate me! And it was wet. Wish they would leave their ego and silly driving at home.

richie_rvf

DubLegs wrote: »

Person in front of the driver and those cars that may see it in the through side mirrors etc!
IMHO - I know I'd be curious and if not slightly worried as to why the person behind me has the hazzards on all of a shot! Is there something wrong with my car that i can't see?
I do understand for the reasons of the guy behind.

well if that is the case then suddenly indicating should be banned as being dangerous too. :rolleyes:

If a car behind you put their hazards on it would cause you to possibly have an accident while you try to figure out what is going on????

If a car beside you put their hazards on then it would only appear to be indicators - surely??

Honestly - I see where your coming from and I am not trying to wind you or anyone else up here - but I still believe that suddenly braking is more dangerous than turning on your hazards, if the van was tailgating then he would be one of the only drivers to see the hazard lights.

Like I said, the accident I witnessed was as a direct cause of a car up ahead suddenly braking and other cars not having enough time to react.

We could go on and on about this, 'the cars should have left enough space to allow themselves time to react' etc... but we all know that if they left such gaps our friend in the van would be jumping from lane to lane to make progress.

The OP should have reported the van driver - and in deed possible still should if he has not already done so.

I am by no means condoning the behaviour of the van driver - some day he will cause an accident.

I believe that when we are stuck in heavy traffic we should just grin and bear it, there is not a whole lot to be done about it.

DubLegs

Sometimes it can panick some ppl - Tis all i'm trying to say really!
I agree 100% that tipping the breaks or breaking suddenly is extremely dangerous.

As i posted something similar awhile back and it just descended into an attack on my driving - I also agree it will just go on and on.

richie_rvf

DubLegs wrote: »

Sometimes it can panick some ppl - Tis all i'm trying to say really!
I agree 100% that tipping the breaks or breaking suddenly is extremely dangerous.

As i posted something similar awhile back and it just descended into an attack on my driving - I also agree it will just go on and on.

I take your point

Maybe we should request this thread be closed - I don't want to come back to this to have to defend my driving abilities

DubLegs

Oh i agree!! Mod please close!

There is plenty of similar threads to gain advice from!

bman

richie_rvf wrote: »

I witnessed an accident which was caused by exactly that behaviour, the knock on effect of giving a brake check in heavy traffic is that the time to re-act for each driver behind who will also need to brake gets shorter and shorter - all because someone got annoyed by another drivers antics.

This is very much along the lines of numerous other threads here - none of us have the right to tell others how to drive, that is up to the authorities, that is the reason for phone numbers such as traffic watch.

If you felt that you must make a point to the idiot behind why not put your hazards on??

I didn't say I thought tipping the brakes is the thing to do, I'm just pointing out that the guards would probably laugh at you if you tried to report someone for that. Anyway, the only reason you'd be annoyed at someone doing that is if you were tailgating them. IMO the tailgater is way more dangerous.

I don't tip the brakes in this situation anyway, just turn on and off the fog lights which has the same effect I suppose.

RobAMerc

Lets imagine I am a Garda and you were reporting this to me.... here is how I might very your perception of dangerous driving.

Please don't take it I am saying your wrong - I am trying to demonstrate how its subjective.

StillBallygowan wrote: »

1. It was 6:30am on the M50 going southbound just after going through the toll bridge so traffic was heavy in both lanes. I'm in the right-hand lane keeping up with the traffic.

Was there room on your inside ? Were you overtaking anyone or just in the right lane?

StillBallygowan wrote: »

2. The van driver sat on my tail for a short while so I tapped the brakes

Your totally in the wrong for doing this (you would have reported yourself)

StillBallygowan wrote: »

3. The van driver stayed off my tail then

probably because you were driving dangerously.

StillBallygowan wrote: »

4. A minute (maybe even less) later I saw in my rear view mirror the van speed up behind me with headlights flashing (traffic is heavy in both lanes, all doing pretty much the same speed). There's nowhere I can move to so they insist on tailing me again

They were in the wrong here provided there was traffic to your left and you were traveling at the same speed as the car in front. (Was there no room at all for you to pull in to the left?)

StillBallygowan wrote: »

5. Realising they can't go anywhere they cut into the left-hand lane tailing the car in front of them. I'm keeping my distance from the car in front of me when they decide to try and cut me up to get into the space no bigger then the size of the van itself! So I blasted them out of it. This goes on for 3 attempts. Realising they can't get anywhere they wait for a gap further up.

If you were keeping a good distance from the car in front there would have been plenty of room for a van to fit in ( again subjective - how is your judgment ?)

StillBallygowan wrote: »

6. They proceed to weave in and out of traffic pretty much from the N7 turn-off to Sandyford exit.

Were they weaving or returning to the left lane once they had overtaken (as per the rules of the road?)

richie_rvf

bman wrote: »

I didn't say I thought tipping the brakes is the thing to do, I'm just pointing out that the guards would probably laugh at you if you tried to report someone for that. Anyway, the only reason you'd be annoyed at someone doing that is if you were tailgating them. IMO the tailgater is way more dangerous.

I don't tip the brakes in this situation anyway, just turn on and off the fog lights which has the same effect I suppose.

I agree - they most likely would laugh - I too was just trying to make another point.

I must say though, and I am not taking the p1ss here, there should be more people like you on the road, the amount of drivers that have no idea where the fog light switch is - let alone what to do with it!!

Still, that's a whole other thread

RobAMerc

richie_rvf wrote: »

If a car in front of me deliberately tapped the brake I would report them!!

Alanstrainor wrote: »

You better be taking the piss. So tailgating is okay then?

Alanstrainor - More importantly are YOU serious or just some sort of mental deficient ? - Are you allowed to have a license ?

richie_rvf

RobAMerc wrote: »

More importantly are YOU serious or just some sort of mental deficient ? - Are you allowed to have a license ?

I am not entirely sure if that was directed at me or at Alanstrainor?

For my part - no, I am not serious, I was trying to illustrate that by braking in such a manner can also cause accidents.

I am by no means a supporter of tailgating - or any type of idiotic driving.

AntiVirus

roughan wrote: »

GENTLY pull up the handbrake
your brake lights do not come on but the car will slow a small bit
the person who is up your a**e will get the shock of their lives !!

Or you'll get the shock of your life if he's not paying attention and crashes into the back of you. Then the other cars behind crash into the two of you causing a knock on effect leaving 12 people dead and 2 kids without any parents.

Your just as bad as him, learn to drive. :cool:

RobAMerc

richie_rvf wrote: »

I am not entirely sure if that was directed at me or at Alanstrainor?

For my part - no, I am not serious, I was trying to illustrate that by braking in such a manner can also cause accidents.

I am by no means a supporter of tailgating - or any type of idiotic driving.

I was trying to agree with you, (i have amended the post) theres no excuse for either, but tailgating is again subjective ( the person in front might just feel they are being tailgated - judgment )

going for the brake unnecessarily is dangerous ALWAYS, and should not be encouraged at all.

RobAMerc

AntiVirus wrote: »

Or you'll get the shock of your life if he's not paying attention and crashes into the back of you. Then the other cars behind crash into the two of you causing a knock on effect leaving 12 people dead and 2 kids without any parents.

Your just as bad as him, learn to drive. :cool:

Well said - I think the real dangerous fool here is the one hitting the brakes. If you "think" someone is tailgating pull over and let them pass - don't attempt to kill them and you!

richie_rvf

RobAMerc wrote: »

I was trying to agree with you, (i have amended the post) theres no excuse for either, but tailgating is again subjective ( the person in front might just feel they are being tailgated - judgment )

going for the brake unnecessarily is dangerous ALWAYS, and should not be encouraged at all.

You gotta love these threads

How do we know that the Van driver was not being made drive faster by another tailgater??
He may have been changing lanes to avoid accidents

RobAMerc

how many times have i wrote the same post ?????

someone gets cut up or flashed on the m50
feels bad so comes to boards looking for re-assurance they were in the right, generally because they have no idea
(of course not always)

truth is its impossible to tell as it's totally subjective - therefore reporting them is useless

trafficline would be usefull in reporting repeat offenders -
i.e. if someone is tearing up your neighborhood etc but even that is subjective unless the cops come and wait for them or talk to people who have been repeatedly reported for the same offense.

richie_rvf

Totally agree - that's the problem with opinions.

The only time I would call is if someone was VERY dangerous and made me take avoiding action, what I mean is I would report someone if I felt strongly enough that I would be prepared to go to court.

Thank God that hasn't happened to me - yet

There are a lot of idiots out there and I'm sure in their opinion there are a lot of idiots out there too

Jeapy

6th wrote: »

I was on the old bawn road back last summer and a old fiesta was crawling along. I passed it on my moped and there were 3 women in it and 4 kids.

The woman driving had a litre bottle of Blue Wicked in here hand, taking a swig of it. The woman in the passenger seat had a toddler standing on her lap. And the woman in the back with the kids was singing along very badly to the blaring radio. There wasnt much traffic but they must have been doing 10 mph.

I pulled over and rang the garda with the reg etc and he said he'd send a car striaght down. I was in a rush to get home so I didnt hang about.

Fair play. That kind of thing should be reported for the sake and safety of the kids. I rang once to report a couple beating the crap out of each other in a car holding up traffic and with 3 young children in the back seat looking on. It was just awful.

SV

I rang Carlow Garda Station once before for dangerous driving.
I was on the N9 and I came behind a corolla swaying all over the road at way too slow speeds for the road.. Swaying so much on the road that overtaking wasn't even possible..besides the fact they nearly crashed into other cars coming the opposite way several times.

The traffic corps were behind me within 10 minutes and pulled over the corolla.


Mind you, that's only one time and I guess they were just in the area at the time. Still though. Good results.

Esel

roughan wrote: »

GENTLY pull up the handbrake
your brake lights do not come on but the car will slow a small bit
the person who is up your a**e will get the shock of their lives !!

Do we have a section on Motors for most idiotic post of the week/month/year? :mad:

orbital83

Agree with Robamerc.

It's true there is a significant number of lunatics out there who need a good roasting from the gardai.

However if I'm frequently on the receiving end of other drivers' irritation, I'll also look at my own driving and see if I could possibly be at fault?
This is good practice. There is always more learning to be done.

A lot of dangerous driving is triggered by the dangerous or incompetent actions of others.

Not attacking the OP - I'm sure you just met one of the lunatics!
However as someone who drives 130 miles a day I know how it feels to become frustrated by other drivers who just need to hand in their licence and start again...

Personally I don't find myself on the end of too much trouble - and I'm no perfect driver - I just drive at the speed limit when practical to do so and keep in the left hand lane when possible to do so.

NeMiSiS

"It's true there is a significant number of lunatics out there who need a good roasting from the gardai.

However if I'm frequently on the receiving end of other drivers' irritation, I'll also look at my own driving and see if I could possibly be at fault?
This is good practice. There is always more learning to be done.

A lot of dangerous driving is triggered by the dangerous or incompetent actions of others."

I think is a very good and very true point.

I am frequently presented with bizarre and dangerous driving, but have learned to back off, then when safe to do so overtake - quickly. A lot of drivers are blissfully unaware of what is going on around them, and refuse to be considerate to anyone else.

A simple example would be Mr Sunday driver pottering along for miles on end at 60 - 65 kph, hugging the center line, and talking at length about gardening or dog shows.. or whatever these people talk about. Someone in the ever building queue of drivers unwilling or frightend (which seems an ever increasing phenomena) to overtake looses the head, and blasts by say 3 cars and Mr Sunday driver. This is where Mr Sunday becomes "aware" and sees this "maniac" zooming by overtaking! -Shock- -Horror-. Mr S starts flashing his lights to inform this maniac just how much of a maniac he is.

Mr Sunday driver though will inevitably refuse to accept though that his actions (at least in part) in fact created this scenario, and report this later to his friends as "My God! A maniac zoomed by me today like you would not believe. I would be in my right mind to tell the police!".

I could give a million examples..

TK

Johnnio13

driving Galway to Ballinasloe on Sunday, and an idiot in a Honda Civic people carrier tried to overtake just outside Loughrea as a Citylink was approaching, he bullied his way in between myself and the car in front. I beeped him out of it and 3 toddlers stood up on the back seat to see what the hassle was.... with that he took off again forcing the on-coming traffic onto the hard shoulder....he over took 11 cars, all tavelling at 100kmh

I had enough of watching him trying to kill himself and his family...I rang traffic watch and they contacted the Gardai in Ballinasloe and sure enough as we all came into Ballinasloe, the Gardai had him pulled over and were going through his documents etc - don't know what came of it, but judging by the look on his face he wasn't having a good time......

Why do you have to be an arse on the road when there is no need!

SV

Johnnio13 wrote: »

driving Galway to Ballinasloe on Sunday, and an idiot in a Honda Civic people carrier tried to overtake just outside Loughrea as a Citylink was approaching, he bullied his way in between myself and the car in front. I beeped him out of it and 3 toddlers stood up on the back seat to see what the hassle was.... with that he took off again forcing the on-coming traffic onto the hard shoulder....he over took 11 cars, all tavelling at 100kmh

I had enough of watching him trying to kill himself and his family...I rang traffic watch and they contacted the Gardai in Ballinasloe and sure enough as we all came into Ballinasloe, the Gardai had him pulled over and were going through his documents etc - don't know what came of it, but judging by the look on his face he wasn't having a good time......

Why do you have to be an arse on the road when there is no need!

Good result there I think.


He probably has SWS

mikemac

StillBallygowan wrote: »

Unfortunately the handbrake is at my foot! I drive a Merc

roughan wrote: »

Still works use ur left foot on the brake then just use your right hand to release it
i had an e220 while my car was in the garage

Sorry for going offtopic. I'm confused and intrigued:)

A merc's handbrake is a pedal?

I drive a moped and don't drive cars often so excuse my noob question