Slow drivers

donegalman1

after years and years and even talking about it on boards, I see the Gardai have a piece in todays paper about slow moving vehicles on Donegal roads.#

Such a pro active attitude and article in this weeks Donegal News, I really applaud the Gardai for this.

I genuinely think its a great step. Don't have a link to put up but basically the inspector pointed out that slow drivers and those of slow tractors etc can cause danger by holding up traffic ending up forcing others to take chances.

Now if Gay Byrne came out with sense like that he might have credibilty

On another thread myself and Muffler comapered how many times we saw the laybys used.

Theres hope for our road safety yet, I almost resented the gardai for ignoring it for so long

muffler

Christ, dont get me started on the slow drivers.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

Got to say I agree fully with what you are saying Boy racers are bad enough but when you couple this with slow drivers its just asking for disaster

buckfasterer

didnt see the article.......what was said in it?? on the topic of slow drivers, cant they not get fined for going 2 slow or is that only on motorways? i may be wrong but im sure ive heard that somewhere before.......

muffler

buckfasterer wrote: »

didnt see the article.......what was said in it?? on the topic of slow drivers, cant they not get fined for going 2 slow or is that only on motorways? i may be wrong but im sure ive heard that somewhere before.......

The article was more along the lines of a Garda inspector appealing to slow drivers particularly farmers to pull in and allow other road users to get past without having to take chances. There was no mention of a crackdown on this or no mention of slow driving being in breach of any part of the Road Traffic Act.

In fact all the inspector said in the article was what we all knew anyhow that its frustrating driving behind slow moving vehicles and people are taking chances by attempting to overtake these vehicles.

He even had the audacity to suggest that MOST farmers will pull in to a lay by to allow traffic past. Where the hell has been hibernating to come out with such an outlandish statement.

blue shimmering

muffler wrote: »

He even had the audacity to suggest that MOST farmers will pull in to a lay by to allow traffic past. Where the hell has been hibernating to come out with such an outlandish statement.

I still would prefer to be behind a slow driver than have some lunatic trying to overtake 9 or 10 cars who are already doing 100kms:(:(! It is also ok to ask slow drivers to pull in on wide roads and they should face a fine for not doing so:mad: but what about the narrow side roads;) - they have paid their road tax and so on so do have a right to be on the road and the farmers do have to get their work done just as much as the rest of us:D! I still think the focus should be on boy racers not the slow coaches:eek::eek:!

L1011

I've found the Donegal 'boy racers' generally of a far higher standard of driving than most other drivers in the country (basically, anyone else would kill themselves within hours of trying to drive like them...). Excessively slow drivers cause other drivers to get fustrated and take risks, very fast drivers usually cause risk only to themselves...

Broxi_Bear_Eire

MYOB wrote: »

I've found the Donegal 'boy racers' generally of a far higher standard of driving than most other drivers in the country (basically, anyone else would kill themselves within hours of trying to drive like them...). Excessively slow drivers cause other drivers to get fustrated and take risks, very fast drivers usually cause risk only to themselves...

WHAT They often kill themselves and inocent people to what a silly comment:eek:

shiibata

Have always regarded these brain dead slow drivers more of a nuisance than the boyracers as well. The amount of times going to work in Letterkenny and some eejit is hugging the middle of the road (especially around bullock park) and about 10-15 cars stuck behind, christ, all it takes is to look in your mirror and drive in hard shoulder for about 15 secs.. Worse again then is these cars that crawl up the fast lane at Lurgybrack:mad: although dont find it as bad as the climbing lane after the limestone quarry past Ballintra, nobody goes into the slow lane there for some reason:mad:

blue shimmering

MYOB wrote: »

I've found the Donegal 'boy racers' generally of a far higher standard of driving than most other drivers in the country (basically, anyone else would kill themselves within hours of trying to drive like them...). Excessively slow drivers cause other drivers to get fustrated and take risks, very fast drivers usually cause risk only to themselves...

Don't agree with you about the boy racers - they are a hazard on the roads and cause the misery and death of themselves and other innocent people because they think they are envisible! Slow drivers on the other hand often are older drivers, not always of course but mostly, and at times what I call scenic drivers who are just interested in seeing what is around them not what is on the road! I do believe we have to become more patient and make allowance for other drivers - rather than get frustrated, annoyed and take such stupid and dangerous chances! Will we ever learn that it doesn't really matter whether we are wrong or right if we are dead or have caused other deaths.

donegalman1

The Bullock Park and Ballintra examples I have witnessed almost daily and define what I mean. But another great example is the Letterkenny to Lifford Road. Unfortunately we may wait even longer now for the road to be upgraded, yet a few years ago the council took steps to add a few small laybys to facilitate slow moving vehicles pull in.

Once once in hundreds of times on this road have I seen one used, furthermore at least half of my journeys on this road someone should have used them and I've often been stuck behind 10 or twelve vehicles, behind one. The problem is three fold here

1. The ignorant 'lawabiding' and never prosecuted person at the front won't giveway

2. those behind will neither overtake nor leave room to overtake

3 the council seem to shorten the stretch of broken white lines on this road everytime its surface dressed and re-lined.

I've also found myself driving at 40 through the entire stretch of the gap and yet the gardai are more interested in doing someone for 110kmh on the great stretch than those who've added twenty minutes onto everyones journey.

I do agree with mufflers comment that the Guard did seemingly think farmers do pull in, and I'm in full agreement with Mufflers opinion.

The only reasonI bring the subject up is that its the first time I have heard any muttering of sense from the Gardai in this, a serious problem.

We're not talking about someone passing everyone at 100kmh.

blue shimmering

donegalman1 wrote: »

The Bullock Park and Ballintra examples I have witnessed almost daily and define what I mean. But another great example is the Letterkenny to Lifford Road. Unfortunately we may wait even longer now for the road to be upgraded, yet a few years ago the council took steps to add a few small laybys to facilitate slow moving vehicles pull in.

Once once in hundreds of times on this road have I seen one used, furthermore at least half of my journeys on this road someone should have used them and I've often been stuck behind 10 or twelve vehicles, behind one. The problem is three fold here

1. The ignorant 'lawabiding' and never prosecuted person at the front won't giveway

2. those behind will neither overtake nor leave room to overtake

3 the council seem to shorten the stretch of broken white lines on this road everytime its surface dressed and re-lined.

I've also found myself driving at 40 through the entire stretch of the gap and yet the gardai are more interested in doing someone for 110kmh on the great stretch than those who've added twenty minutes onto everyones journey.

I do agree with mufflers comment that the Guard did seemingly think farmers do pull in, and I'm in full agreement with Mufflers opinion.

The only reasonI bring the subject up is that its the first time I have heard any muttering of sense from the Gardai in this, a serious problem.

We're not talking about someone passing everyone at 100kmh.

Agree to a certain extent but safety has to be the main focus and someone going slow is not as much of a hazard on the road as someone going at 100km+++++! We will never get 100% compliance with road users whether they are going too fast or too slow, it is not possible - although at the same time someone who chooses to go at a slow pace should stay in to the left and let faster traffic go! Unfortunately, just like the fast drivers some of them don't want to let anyone overtake them either - don't know why that is but it does seem to be the case! At the same time there is no excuse for road rage as we are then risking our own and other peoples lives - I think we should all relax and just take that extra breath, if you have to also count to ten!

muffler

blue shimmering wrote: »

I think we should all relax and just take that extra breath, if you have to also count to ten!

Well I've counted to ten quite a few times in the past. 10 being the number of miles that I was stuck behind a tractor and trailer.

blue shimmering

muffler wrote: »

Well I've counted to ten quite a few times in the past. 10 being the number of miles that I was stuck behind a tractor and trailer.

Very good, enjoyed that one - I know it's frustrating to be behind something that is going slow when you're in a hurry but as they would say 'that's life'! We just have to get on with it and hope for the best when going onto the road.

donegalman1

Courtesy also means that those who think they have the god given right to drive at a snails pace should make an effort to let others progress, you actually can be black marked in the driving test for not progressing, ie driving too slow.

In anycase I think its its refreshing from the Gardai to highlight the problem.

I think theres an old law, seldomly enforced that slow moving vehicls must pull in when they obstuct something like 7 or more vehicles. The law should be enforced right across the board, not just on the young, not just on those who speed but other inconsiderate drivers.

Incidentally, I believe theres also room for speed limits to be raised on some roads in Ireland and Donegal to 110kmh, not just motorways as is 120.Its never going to happen of course but at least drivers should be able to drive at 90/100kmh in the gap without someone impeding them and long traffic queues of traffic because its politically correct to let them do so.

blue shimmering

donegalman1 wrote: »

Incidentally, I believe theres also room for speed limits to be raised on some roads in Ireland and Donegal to 110kmh, not just motorways as is 120.Its never going to happen of course but at least drivers should be able to drive at 90/100kmh in the gap without someone impeding them and long traffic queues of traffic because its politically correct to let them do so.

Don't know about raising the speed limit because two cars hitting at 100km cause a lot of damage and most of the roads in Donegal in my view shouldn't even have a speed limit of 100km on them! Also one I can think of which I think should have the 100km limit is the exit into Donegal Town off the Tullyearl junction which presently is 80km and is a very wide road!

If you look at the gap (Barnesmore) a lot of this has a solid white line where even if you are let pass it is against the law - some of the solid white lines are not necessary I don't think because there is a good clear view ahead! I do agree that it can be very annoying to be stuck behind someone doing 40-50km from the gap into Ballybofey and is impossible to pass unless they give way to the traffic and stay into the left side of the road and there is a lot not doing this! Why, I don't know because at the end of the day it doesn't take much effort to just pull over and give way!

I actually saw a refuse truck going out of Ballybofey at the top there where the bar is 'Road House Bar', going towards Donegal Town who wouldn't give way to an ambulance! Maybe he didn't see him and I do realise that stretch of the road is narrow but he still could have pulled in as far as he could and let the ambulance go, traffic coming from Donegal did stop and let the ambulance get past us! I didn't get past the refuse truck until we got past Mc Groary's brai, very frustrating for us and very ignorant of him!

silly1

I dont know why everyone is complaining about slow drivers. Shure what are ye in a hurry for.

Slow drivers cant always use their rear view mirrors for a very simple reason. When you have two or three ewes (yo's), a goat, a couple a bags of turf and seven kids sittin on them how in the hell could anyone see anything in the rear view mirror.

In my view anything higher than 35mph on these roads is reckless speeding.

What you guys need to do is be patient, relax and take in the scenery;)

muffler

silly1 wrote: »

I dont know why everyone is complaining about slow drivers. Shure what are ye in a hurry for.

Slow drivers cant always use their rear view mirrors for a very simple reason. When you have two or three ewes (yo's), a goat, a couple a bags of turf and seven kids sittin on them how in the hell could anyone see anything in the rear view mirror.

In my view anything higher than 35mph on these roads is reckless speeding.

What you guys need to do is be patient, relax and take in the scenery;)

I would call that trolling so just be a bit more careful please.

donegalman1

I for one would vote for Muffler as moderator of Donegal Roads. More Traffic, greater Speeds... it'd be just like broadband only better muffler!!

Caroline19

Slow drivers are nothing but idiots, there more harmful on the roadds than those that drive +20km/h above the speed limit...
It's the one thing I notice on the way home from Dublin every week...You always get stuck behind some 50km f***r that you can't pass cos of the state of the road...Time some people copped on...and as for the Gardaí and the county councils of this country- it's time you knew where to put the actual speed limits, not three miles outside a town on a good road!!

blue shimmering

silly1 wrote: »

Slow drivers cant always use their rear view mirrors for a very simple reason. When you have two or three ewes (yo's), a goat, a couple a bags of turf and seven kids sittin on them how in the hell could anyone see anything in the rear view mirror.

Agree with some of the things you say but do hope that the seven kids have seat belts on;)! Seriously though, even if they can't see in the rear view mirror they still have their two or more side mirrors so your arguement doesn't really stand up:eek:! I think safety is much more important than arriving 10 minutes sooner - the difference between travelling at 60km & 100km on a journey from Donegal Town to Ballybofey! Slow drivers can cause a hazard but only if there are impatient people out there who are prepared to take a chance on their and other people lives - cool off some of you or get a bus instead:p!

Caroline19

hey I do get the bus every week from Dublin....it's the only way u can get anywhere in decent time as long as your not travelling with Bus Eireann!! Thank God for bus lanes, think it's about time some drivers opened up there eyes and pull over in ther hard sholulder...just to let people got where there supposed to in time!! And by the way it's about time something was done with the roads up here!! Sooner rather than later, one of the causes of fatalites in Donegal at the moment...don't you agree??

blue shimmering

Caroline19 wrote: »

hey I do get the bus every week from Dublin....it's the only way u can get anywhere in decent time as long as your not travelling with Bus Eireann!! Thank God for bus lanes, think it's about time some drivers opened up there eyes and pull over in ther hard sholulder...just to let people got where there supposed to in time!! And by the way it's about time something was done with the roads up here!! Sooner rather than later, one of the causes of fatalites in Donegal at the moment...don't you agree??

If you have to be somewhere at a certain time - leave 15 - 20 minutes sooner than you think it will take you, just in case you meet some of the slow coaches! It's not worth the hassle of trying to overtake 9/10 cars because you are trying to regain 10 minutes of time - maybe not arrive at all! Our roads are bad, some of them but the wider one's are mostly ok - though do feel they have solid white lines in very peculiar places!

Broxi_Bear_Eire

Caroline19 wrote: »

hey I do get the bus every week from Dublin....it's the only way u can get anywhere in decent time as long as your not travelling with Bus Eireann!! Thank God for bus lanes, think it's about time some drivers opened up there eyes and pull over in ther hard sholulder...just to let people got where there supposed to in time!! And by the way it's about time something was done with the roads up here!! Sooner rather than later, one of the causes of fatalites in Donegal at the moment...don't you agree??

Ah the roads here well I travel all over this country and the U.K. And the worst bit of any Journey for me is the bit in Donegal I don't think I have seen such inept road building or repairing anywhere else.:eek:

L1011

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

WHAT They often kill themselves and inocent people to what a silly comment:eek:

Not silly. Compared to drivers in the rest of the country, I'm sure you'll find Donegal boy racers are no less if not safer than ones from other parts of the country. Also, they rarely kill anyone else - mostly single vehicle collisions. See it as Darwinian selection in its element.

Excessively slow drivers also cause accidents, generally multi-vehicle ones injuring or killing far more people. Pulling out at 25mph in front of someone doing 60mph on a 60mph road is *lethal*, yet its done all the time by people who assure themselves they're in the right.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

MYOB wrote: »

Not silly. Compared to drivers in the rest of the country, I'm sure you'll find Donegal boy racers are no less if not safer than ones from other parts of the country. Also, they rarely kill anyone else - mostly single vehicle collisions. See it as Darwinian selection in its element.

Excessively slow drivers also cause accidents, generally multi-vehicle ones injuring or killing far more people. Pulling out at 25mph in front of someone doing 60mph on a 60mph road is *lethal*, yet its done all the time by people who assure themselves they're in the right.

Of course is slly if not downright stupid Boy racers are dangerous to themselves and others no matter where they come from as slow drivers can be if they dont pay attention

muffler

donegalman1 wrote: »

I for one would vote for Muffler as moderator of Donegal Roads. More Traffic, greater Speeds... it'd be just like broadband only better muffler!!

Now that would be an idea alright if we could only get rid of that blow in - Gay Byrne

Fighting Irish

donegalman1 wrote: »

after years and years and even talking about it on boards, I see the Gardai have a piece in todays paper about slow moving vehicles on Donegal roads.#

Such a pro active attitude and article in this weeks Donegal News, I really applaud the Gardai for this.

I genuinely think its a great step. Don't have a link to put up but basically the inspector pointed out that slow drivers and those of slow tractors etc can cause danger by holding up traffic ending up forcing others to take chances.

Now if Gay Byrne came out with sense like that he might have credibilty

On another thread myself and Muffler comapered how many times we saw the laybys used.

Theres hope for our road safety yet, I almost resented the gardai for ignoring it for so long

People who drive slow are a pain, but its up to them how fast they drive, most tractors do everything they can to help people overtake them safely

Fighting Irish

Caroline19 wrote: »

Slow drivers are nothing but idiots, there more harmful on the roadds than those that drive +20km/h above the speed limit...
It's the one thing I notice on the way home from Dublin every week...You always get stuck behind some 50km f***r that you can't pass cos of the state of the road...Time some people copped on...and as for the Gardaí and the county councils of this country- it's time you knew where to put the actual speed limits, not three miles outside a town on a good road!!

OK i drive fast but what you said is stupid

muffler

Fighting Irish wrote: »

most tractors do everything they can to help people overtake them safely

I wouldn't agree with that at all. We must be driving on different roads at different times.

Fighting Irish wrote: »

OK i drive fast but what you said is stupid

Ease up a little on the accelerator. We can have a discussion without comments like that.

Fighting Irish

muffler wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with that at all. We must be driving on different roads at different times.


Ease up a little on the accelerator. We can have a discussion without comments like that.

"Slow drivers are nothing but idiots"

I'm not complaining about what she said, i'm just pointing out how stupid it is

muffler

Fighting Irish wrote: »

"Slow drivers are nothing but idiots"

I'm not complaining about what she said, i'm just pointing out how stupid it is

People are entitled to an opinion here without being told their opinion is stupid. Now if you have a different opinion you can post something like I did above and say that you dont agree with it.

Just leave the inflammatory wording out of your posts..

donegalman1

MYOB wrote: »

I've found the Donegal 'boy racers' generally of a far higher standard of driving than most other drivers in the country (basically, anyone else would kill themselves within hours of trying to drive like them...). Excessively slow drivers cause other drivers to get fustrated and take risks, very fast drivers usually cause risk only to themselves...

Oh I'm going to be labelled as the Paddy 20 of Driving threads...

I do think see the sarcasm of your in brackets bit, bit you touch on something whether deliberate or not.

Its quite correct that the Donegal board has so much discssion on these topics as we do have problems and a bad image nationwide and its important that rather than have Gay Byrne rubbish and condisend Donegal Drivers in a whim as he has done, we discuss locally and solve.

Boy racers or those labelled as such by what they drive often tend to buy cars of a particular kind, treasure them and look ater them, some drive the crap out of them but there is another thing about many of these cars.

Imprezas or evos for example are technically fantastic cars that have the very best technology available. Its quite plausable for an Evo to be more safe on Donegal Roads than any other car if you look at road holding and the ability to accelerate when needed to overtake, even within the law. Probably not great in a crash but in other respects can corner, brake and accelerate to get back in infront, in an emergency or otherwise in a safe manner.

It does not excuse ricidulious driving but theres times when a performance car is safer, though always seen as a boy racer car regardless of whos driving.

If an evo passes you within the speed limit you'd still think 'lunatic', even though he probably could in any scenario, but in this case can get from 30 - 60 in a couple of seconds to allow him do so without breaking the law or endangering anyone.

So yes there are times when the person driving a boy racer car may be in the safest position.