M8 Fermoy - Car driving wrong way on motorway

damoz

Friday night, coming back from the Munster match in Cork - heading north on the M8 between the toll on the corrin junction.

I was 200 m behind a car which started to brake hard so i moved to the overtaking lane (thinking he was pulling in or something)..... only to see headlights coming for me ! Veered back into the left hand lane and the car sped by - i flashed, blew horn etc .....

Anyone else in that area come across this ? Obviously couldnt get any plate info etc, but would love to see this driver jailed for putting lives in grave danger.

Hogzy

Saw this happening on the South Ring in Cork, an old lady came down the wrong slip road at mahon and drove down the wrong side of the dual carriage way, everyone was flashing and blowing their horns she eventually turned around. Its happened quite a few times all over the country, someone was killed a while back because of it, 99% of the time its an old person or a drunk!

Robbo

Was there a nearby racecourse that Jim McDaid would have been returning from?

GoneShootin

The driver would get some quare looks from the staff at the toll bridges as the only way off the motorway (if she continued going the wrong way) is via the toll. If she did a U-turn of course they could get off at the next exit.

What kind of speed was the driver doing could you guess?

rebel.ranter

Had almost the exact same experience on the N25 passing Carrigtwohill last year. It is a frightening thing when you see a car going straight for you in the fast lane!!

galwaytt

don't worry - he'll get 2 points on his licence :rolleyes:

that's 3 less than having no NCT displayed. :eek:

Ignoring the trivial death scenario probale in one case, impropable in the other, sounds fair to me. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Neilw

There is no excuse for this type of carry-on.
Twice I've met cars coming down the slip road (wrong way) onto the M50. The same junction both North and South.

I think it should be a mandatory court appearance and up the points.

damoz

GoneShootin wrote: »

The driver would get some quare looks from the staff at the toll bridges as the only way off the motorway (if she continued going the wrong way) is via the toll. If she did a U-turn of course they could get off at the next exit.

What kind of speed was the driver doing could you guess?

Motorway speed - at a guess.... but not far from speed limit.

I know someone who was 5 minutes behind me, and they did not meet any car, so they must have u-turned or took one of the exits.

What makes you think it was a "she"?

Id say it was one of 3 :
a) A drunk ( no evidence in drving apart from the wrong way on the motorway thing)
b) a disorientated driver or either gender and possible advanced years
c) someone on the run from cops ( i did check to see were there any robberies but drew a blank).

Any CCTV on the motorways ?

What ban/fine would be applicable for this offence?

Jip

galwaytt wrote: »

don't worry - he'll get 2 points on his licence :rolleyes:

that's 3 less than having no NCT displayed. :eek:

Ignoring the trivial death scenario probale in one case, impropable in the other, sounds fair to me. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Not if it was an old granny, apaprently you can get away with doing such things at that age.

Hogzy

I wouldnt call doing a retest getting away with it!!! its pointless imposing a fine on an old person as they genuinly did not know and will just forget again in the future, In my opinion the elderly should be permanently banned from driving if this were to happen!

Random

Did you report this to the local Garda at all? I realise you're lacking details but I wouldn't think there's any harm in reporting it. Others may have reported similiar and they could have gone to the scene etc.

If you did report it then I'll just join the others in saying that this person is an idiot and the junction where they came on the wrong way should be checked out also to make sure everything is clear .. even to those unfamiliar with the area.

McSpud

Hows about the Minister do something useful & give 12 penalty points for such behaviour.

Hooch

damoz wrote: »

Motorway speed - at a guess.... but not far from speed limit.

I know someone who was 5 minutes behind me, and they did not meet any car, so they must have u-turned or took one of the exits.

What makes you think it was a "she"?

Id say it was one of 3 :
a) A drunk ( no evidence in drving apart from the wrong way on the motorway thing)
b) a disorientated driver or either gender and possible advanced years
c) someone on the run from cops ( i did check to see were there any robberies but drew a blank).

Any CCTV on the motorways ?

What ban/fine would be applicable for this offence?[/

Driving against the flow of motorway traffic is an FCPS offence €80 and 2 penalty points which goes to 4 in court.

Suitable offence for this taking into account the details is Dangerous driving Section 53 RTA 61-06

GoneShootin

damoz wrote: »

What makes you think it was a "she"?

I actually had SHE littered throughout my reply and thought I had replaced them all before I made the post Force of habit there damoz & prejudice!

Neilw

damoz wrote: »

What makes you think it was a "she"?

Both times I encountered people going the wrong way on slip roads they were female.
I flagged the second woman down and she gave out to me :eek:, she was looking for the NCT centre at Ballymun, the Guards spotted her drive down the slip and followed her

Hogzy

Neilw wrote: »

he

Just to let you know you mis-spelled "her"

Neilw

Hogzy wrote: »

Just to let you know you mis-spelled "her"

Fixed

damoz

Be it a she or he...... 2 penalty points and €80 is a joke. If i was alongside the other car on the apex of a curve, then we would be looking at a 3 car pile up with very low possibility of survival. It should be a instant ban - dangerous driving. 12 months minimum.

Amtmann

Do people think it's a result of thrill-seeking, panic, stupidity or what?

I can't fathom it.

Seth Brundle

a mix of stupidity, ignorance of the rules, lack of awarness and common sense

Amtmann

But they surely knew they were on the wrong side of the road. I mean they must have known that. I've seen it a few times now, where clowns drive down the wrong sliproad or else miss their exit, brake suddenly, do a u-turn on the M8 and seem to think it's okay. And this is at least the third time in the past few months that some moron has driven in the wrong direction on the M8: http://www.corkman.ie/news/motorway-disaster-averted-1628486.html

TrafficWatch is useless for any incidents on the Fermoy Bypass anyway. "You're between junctions 16 and 15 northbound on the M8? Where is that exactly? Who are the local Gardaí"?

Pedro K

Furet wrote: »

But they surely knew they were on the wrong side of the road. I mean they must have known that. I've seen it a few times now, where clowns drive down the wrong sliproad or else miss their exit, brake suddenly, do a u-turn on the M8 and seem to think it's okay. And this is at least the third time in the past few months that some moron has driven in the wrong direction on the M8: http://www.corkman.ie/news/motorway-disaster-averted-1628486.html

TrafficWatch is useless for any incidents on the Fermoy Bypass anyway. "You're between junctions 16 and 15 northbound on the M8? Where is that exactly? Who are the local Gardaí"?

Sometimes people genuinely don't realise it though. Elderly people in particular.

There was a recent one on the M1 where an elderly lady went against the flow of traffic. (there was a thread on here about it too)

People were trying to alert her but she just continued on completely oblivious.

When people get to a certain age they should be made do a basic competency test and some other test to show they are still alert and able to react.

Seth Brundle

Pedro K wrote: »

When people get to a certain age they should be made do a basic competency test and some other test to show they are still alert and able to react.

Everyone should be made redo a competency test after a certain period of time (~5 years)!