Speed Trap at the Spawell Tempelogue road

Frank_Gooding

Twice again this week there was a speeed trap on the spawell road. dual carriageway with a 50KM limit.

I am aware of this fish in a barrell shoot so I am always careful.

Seems to me there should be a speed camera sign erected as the Money grabbers are on the road so often.

damnyanks

That particular speed trap has been going for at least 15 years. I used to play hurling up the road from there and would see it nearly everytime I went training.

Cuddlesworth

Are you talking about behind the bustop beside the spawell? Or in the middle divider after the roundabout? Or the turkey shoot on the bend just on the downhill section where the limit goes from 60 to 50 and all those people lost their lives?

I always wonder why families and people in the area don't protest against the speed cameras. Its clearly obvious why you are in danger crossing that road, everybody is staring at their speed and not what's going on around them.

Seth Brundle

Is the stretch from the M50 to the spawell roundabout 50km/h?
Bugger. I passed the van during the week thinking 60km/h was the limit!

Anan1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Are you talking about behind the bustop beside the spawell? Or in the middle divider after the roundabout? Or the turkey shoot on the bend just on the downhill section where the limit goes from 60 to 50 and all those people lost their lives?

I always wonder why families and people in the area don't protest against the speed cameras. Its clearly obvious why you are in danger crossing that road, everybody is staring at their speed and not what's going on around them.

With all due respect, anyone incapable of doing 50 or 60km/h without staring at their speedometer is unfit to be in control of a car.

Guy:Incognito

twice in the last 3 weeks I've been stopped at the pedestrian lights right at the bus stop where the Gards do be. The first time, 2 cars saild straight through the red light and the 2nd time one car did it. Both times the cars were going around the 60k mark, but only because they were braking for the roundabout. They were just blessed no one was still on the crossing.

Just like the next stretch after the roundabout where I've had to jump back off the road as a Landcruiser sailed through while I had a green light to cross.

The other one people complain about is the stetch of Naas road from the red cow to Kylemore where peopl have actually been killed while crossing, I have no issue with these speed traps.

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I always wonder why families and people in the area don't protest against the speed cameras. Its clearly obvious why you are in danger crossing that road, everybody is staring at their speed and not what's going on around them.

I dont. I travel that stretch most days and have no issue knowing what speed I'm at.


If you need to keep string at your speedo to know you are not over the limit, why are you skating along right at it? If you cant keep just below it then keep well below it.It's not difficult to know what speed your at once your anyway experienced. If your not experienced and dotn know these thins, slow down anyway.

Either way, to actually be stopped youd have to be showing close to or right on 60kmph in a 50 zone. (cue people saying they know someone one done for 52, yet no one can ever provide proof)

Arathorn

Have to agree this is a total scam, they must make a fortune here

Guy:Incognito

Arathorn wrote: »

Have to agree this is a total scam, they must make a fortune here

Yeah, who cares there are children crossing for Schools in the area and a day centre for down syndrome people actally on the roads.:rolleyes:
Plus the next stretch has a small road from housing estates on each side letting out ont the road.

Cuddlesworth

Anan1 wrote: »

With all due respect, anyone incapable of doing 50 or 60km/h without staring at their speedometer is unfit to be in control of a car.

That being said, we are in a country where a large portion of the population was handed their driving license, have no road manners and are basically a danger to others on the road.

I've stood at that crossing(used frequently by special needs children) and seen the drivers looking down coming up to it.


For anybody who doesn't understand what this is like, let me lay it out for you.

Its a dual carriageway road with a large central divider. Coming off the motorway the limit goes to 60. A police bike generally stands behind a bus stop catching people out near the end of the stretch.

After a round about the road turns into a bend. After the bend you see a cop car with a camera facing you. Just before the cop car, is a speed sign saying 50kph and a pedestrian crossing. This is all on a downhill stretch of road.

So cars come up to the corner, wary of the downhill part and wary of the checkpoint around the corner check their speed while ignoring the crossing and lights used by mainly kids and the special needs children from the adjacent centre.

I really don't care about speed checkpoints including the one I can see out my windows right now but out of all the ones in the city that one really pisses me off. Its outright dangerous.

kbannon wrote: »

Is the stretch from the M50 to the spawell roundabout 50km/h?
Bugger. I passed the van during the week thinking 60km/h was the limit!

After the roundabout on the bend towards town is the 50kph stretch.

Guy:Incognito

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

That being said, we are in a country where a large portion of the population was handed their driving license, have no road manners and are basically a danger to others on the road.

I've stood at that crossing(used frequently by special needs children) and seen the drivers looking down coming up to it.


For anybody who doesn't understand what this is like, let me lay it out for you.

Its a dual carriageway road with a large central divider. Coming off the motorway the limit goes to 60. A police bike generally stands behind a bus stop catching people out near the end of the stretch.

After a round about the road turns into a bend. After the bend you see a cop car with a camera facing you. Just before the cop car, is a speed sign saying 50kph and a pedestrian crossing. This is all on a downhill stretch of road.

So cars come up to the corner, wary of the downhill part and wary of the checkpoint around the corner check their speed while ignoring the crossing and lights used by mainly kids and the special needs children from the adjacent centre.

I really don't care about speed checkpoints including the one I can see out my windows right now but out of all the ones in the city that one really pisses me off. Its outright dangerous.





After the roundabout on the bend towards town is the 50kph stretch.

There is plenty of road before the crossings to adjust and know your speed.
Deliberatley tryign to make it sound like the road is far shorter than it is doesnt change that.

The bit between the roundabout and the lights at Cheeverstown is a good 350m . If you have to stare at your speedo for 350m you are a danger to other road users.The Gards have their checkpoint another 300-350m down he road frrom the pedestrian crossing, so theres really no excuse.

Even if they were sitting right at a drop for 60 to 50, how close do you have to be to a 50 kmph sign to see it. Lifting off the accelerator will drop 10 kmph fairly quick too.

Cuddlesworth

Stekelly wrote: »

The bit between the roundabout and the lights at Cheeverstown is a good 350m . If you have to stare at your speedo for 350m you are a danger to other road users.The Gards have their checkpoint another 300-350m down he road frrom the pedestrian crossing, so theres really no excuse.

Which is all 60kph. The speed drop is just at the crossing.

Stekelly wrote: »

Even if they were sitting right at a drop for 60 to 50, how close do you have to be to a 50 kmph sign to see it. Lifting off the accelerator will drop 10 kmph fairly quick too.

Its very hard to stay at 60kph. Get off your high horse.

Anan1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Its very hard to stay at 60kph. Get off your high horse.

?? I find it quite easy to stay at any given speed, be it 60 or 160km/h.

Guy:Incognito

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Its very hard to stay at 60kph. Get off your high horse.

Its no harder than staying at 100 or 120 on a motorway or 30 in a residential street with kids playing (or is it ok to fly up those streets too?)

Cuddlesworth

Anan1 wrote: »

?? I find it quite easy to stay at any given speed, be it 60 or 160km/h.

I don't have any points on my license. I've never been caught speeding. This is not about me. But please go on and hint that its my fault that motorists on this stretch of road not paying attention to people crossing is my fault. Or that I like to drive it over the limit.

Cuddlesworth

Stekelly wrote: »

(or is it ok to fly up those streets too?)

Please feel free to point out where exactly I said it was ok to speed.

Anan1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I don't have any points on my license. I've never been caught speeding. This is not about me. But please go on and hint that its my fault that motorists on this stretch of road not paying attention to people crossing is my fault. Or that I like to drive it over the limit.

I'm not hinting any of the above. I'm saying that this quote:

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Its very hard to stay at 60kph. Get off your high horse.

gives any reasonable person cause to question the author's competence behing the wheel.

Cuddlesworth

Fair enough, what I should have wrote was

Its very hard to stay at the speed limit all the time, get off your high horse.

Anan1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Fair enough, what I should have wrote was

Its very hard to stay at the speed limit all the time, get off your high horse.

It is quite easy for anyone with a modicum of competence to stay at the speed limit all the time, all it takes is an awareness of ones current speed and of the posted limits.

bookerboy

These speed traps are without doubt a money making scam.
We all know where and when most fatal accidents happen(ie very late at night normally invoving young males)
Where are the speed traps when they are needed.I often see a speed trap on the N7 dual carrigeway.A perfectly save area that has probably never seen any sort of accident.
This spot is guaranteed to make revenue from the innocent driver that drifts slightly over the limit
It will also stick a couple of points on his licence and increase his insurance premium.

The-Game

That stretch at spawell is a cash cow for the law. The one where they hide behind the bus stop coming to the spawell roundabout is a joke. Theres no school crossings there and traffic is coming off the motoroway or the carriageway. Could easily be 60 until it hits the roundabout.

Owenw

The Spawell and Red Cow road are very dangerous, so why don't the council put in some footbridges?

All that money taken in fines over the past 2 decades would cover the costs many times over!

The guards have better things to do with their time and the removal of pedestrian crossings would help free up the traffic congestion somewhat.

Guy:Incognito

The-Game wrote: »

That stretch at spawell is a cash cow for the law. The one where they hide behind the bus stop coming to the spawell roundabout is a joke. Theres no school crossings there and traffic is coming off the motoroway or the carriageway. Could easily be 60 until it hits the roundabout.

There are bus stops on both sides of the carriageway that have school kids at them every day.

It is a 60 zone.

But her best thing for yourslef is to continue drivign as if it is 50 and you'll neer have a problem.

Owenw wrote: »

The Spawell and Red Cow road are very dangerous, so why don't the council put in some footbridges?
.

There are footbridges at the red cow. The whoel junction has been upgraded.

Its not reall viable to have a footbridge on every road, if it was there woul never be any pedestrians near traffic.

I'm sure over the years footbridges in the areas have been looked at. You'd have to ask the council why there are non.

Mightbe better than giving out on the internet about speed traps.

bookerboy wrote: »

These speed traps are without doubt a money making scam.
We all know where and when most fatal accidents happen(ie very late at night normally invoving young males).

There have been people killed on the stretches mentioned and on the Naas road before. or is your definiton of fatal different to mine?

In my first post on this thread I mentioned peple flying through red pedestrian crossings on 2 occasions that I was at the lights in the past 3 weeks alone aswell as once when I was crossing it myself.

How many more reasons do you need?

Chardee MacDennis

out of interest sake does a speed trap (even if temporary) not need to be signposted as they are preventitive rather than to catch people?

CreepingDeath

bookerboy wrote: »

These speed traps are without doubt a money making scam.

Cheeverstown centre for the mentally handicapped is on that road.
Also, people tend to speed up on the right hand lane to overtake to get into the left hand lane to go straight for Templeogue village.

bookerboy wrote: »

We all know where and when most fatal accidents happen(ie very late at night normally invoving young males)

So if someone just "clips" a pedestrian that's okay ?
It was an "accident" ?
Just like in football, it was a fair shoulder and couldn't be helped ?

Turner

God if you cannot see a motorbike cop in a yellow jacket trying to hide behind the bus stop as soon as you exit the m50 roundabout, in an area where speed checks have been taking place for over 20 years.....:rolleyes:

Everybody sees him, everybody tells everybody about it, everybod knows they stand there and guess what....

Everybody slows down!!


They are there to catch the odd plebb who comes off the roundabout and speeds up to 160km/hr heading for the roundabout.

The-Game

Stekelly wrote: »

There are bus stops on both sides of the carriageway that have school kids at them every day.

It is a 60 zone.

But her best thing for yourslef is to continue drivign as if it is 50 and you'll neer have a problem.

The majority of the time i see them there on weekends when there are no schoolkids at the bus stop.

Guy:Incognito

The-Game wrote: »

The majority of the time i see them there on weekends when there are no schoolkids at the bus stop.

I travel it most week days and often see them then.Either way, you didnt specify weekends. The limits still apply on weekends and the traffic wont be bumper to bumper with rush hour levels so theres more of a chance of an incident on the weekends anyway.

You seemed to imply 60 would be a decent speed limit, which that road is, so whats the issue?

Keith C

Someone is making the point of scholl kids getting off at bus stops at spawell, then why are guards there most sunday? no school kids then.
The speed trap here is a money spinner no other use.

However I agree with the traps at cheeverstown, mentally handicapped people cross here numerous times daily & people tend to belt down this road.

E39MSport

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Which is all 60kph. The speed drop is just at the crossing.




Its very hard to stay at 60kph. Get off your high horse.

:eek::eek::eek:

Does anyone else drive at 60 (sorry for the jack) on the M50, N4 etc or am I the only one - it certainly appears that way to me....

rocknchef

E39MSport wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Does anyone else drive at 60 (sorry for the jack) on the M50, N4 etc or am I the only one - it certainly appears that way to me....

yes i drive at 60 on the m50, the on and off ramps:eek:

Saab Ed

You'd think we live in Albania. A pedestrian crossing on a national route which is a dual carraige way with a school and a home for disabled people either side of it and there's no bridge or underpass , not to mention buses stopping on it. Laughing stock we are. Now a speed check at that pedestrain crossing I can understand but the one at the bus shelter coming from Tallaght heading towards the Spawell roundabout is very cynical IMO.

E39MSport

Surely it doesn't matter where the Gardai place speed traps? I don't personally have too much time for the cops in this country but the speed limits are there for everybody to obey but it appears that most drivers have their own ideas on whats a safe speed to drive at. I would like to see more cops out there with their hair dryers.

Frank_Gooding

Hiding behind the bus stop give out the wrong message.

Are they out to discourage bad driving and save lives or raise revenue and conviction rates.

cyclopath2001

Frank_Gooding wrote: »

Hiding behind the bus stop give out the wrong message.

No it gives the right message. That people will be aware that they might be caught breaking the law anywhere, rather than just at pre-arranged speed traps where they slow down until they think they won't be caught.

The Gardai don't give advance notice to bank-robbers or burglars, why should they do so for speeders?

Johnny Utah

Joke of a speed limit- pure revenue collection - (not that I pay much attention to it :P)

Omcd

Stekelly wrote: »

The bit between the roundabout and the lights at Cheeverstown is a good 350m .

The 50k sign is actually fairly close to the crossing.

Stekelly wrote: »

Lifting off the accelerator will drop 10 kmph fairly quick too.

It's on a down hill, so lifting the accelerator doesn't work there (for me anyway), the car actually increases speed there even when coasting, you have to use your brakes.

I agree the answer is slow to 50 k well before the sign, but you will generally have someone up your arse wanting to do 60k all the way to it.

Stekelly wrote: »

The Guards have their checkpoint another 300-350m down he road frrom the pedestrian crossing, so theres really no excuse.

Yes, but they are no doubt focusing back up the road on the traffic approaching the crossing. I dont think it is smart for the Guards to have the speed trap further on at the lights for the bridge, cos that encourages people to look ahead past the crossing when they are approaching the crossing to see 'if they can spot the Guards there today', whether or not they are actually speeding. I think ramps before the crossing are a much better solution to ensuring the traffic slows down before it.

Saab Ed

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

The Gardai don't give advance notice to bank-robbers or burglars, why should they do so for speeders?

They dont thats right but they dont hide around the back of my house very often either making sure nobody is going to break in ( Chance would be a fine thing)

The-Game

I Agree with the people saying they shouldnt be hiding behind bus stops etc. The point should be to encourage people to slow down and be more aware, trying to watch out for hidden Gardai isnt the way to do it, its simply a money spinner.

Mr. Presentable

The-Game wrote: »

I Agree with the people saying they shouldnt be hiding behind bus stops etc. The point should be to encourage people to slow down and be more aware, trying to watch out for hidden Gardai isnt the way to do it, its simply a money spinner.

If it was about generating revenue they'd be on the M50, where the vast majority of drivers flout the limit.

Seth Brundle

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

After the roundabout on the bend towards town is the 50kph stretch.

Phew!

The-Game wrote: »

That stretch at spawell is a cash cow for the law. The one where they hide behind the bus stop coming to the spawell roundabout is a joke. Theres no school crossings there and traffic is coming off the motoroway or the carriageway.

Well in all fairness, it is one of the more well known speed traps so if you get caught (as I thought I was) then tough!

The-Game wrote: »

Could easily be 60 until it hits the roundabout.

According to Cuddlesworth, it is 60km/h

BastardPrince wrote: »

out of interest sake does a speed trap (even if temporary) not need to be signposted as they are preventitive rather than to catch people?

A fixed one does IIRC but a temproary one does not.

Chief--- wrote: »

God if you cannot see a motorbike cop in a yellow jacket trying to hide behind the bus stop as soon as you exit the m50 roundabout, in an area where speed checks have been taking place for over 20 years.....:rolleyes:

When I was travelling it last week, I didn't thanks to those standing for election. However, as it turns out I was driving within the limit.

Guy:Incognito

Keith C wrote: »

Someone is making the point of scholl kids getting off at bus stops at spawell, then why are guards there most sunday? no school kids then..

That was one of the reasons. Both times the cars went through the red lights at the pedestrian lights there while I was stopped were on weekends .

Saab Ed wrote: »

You'd think we live in Albania. A pedestrian crossing on a national route which is a dual carraige way with a school and a home for disabled people either side of it and there's no bridge or underpass , not to mention buses stopping on it. Laughing stock we are. Now a speed check at that pedestrain crossing I can understand but the one at the bus shelter coming from Tallaght heading towards the Spawell roundabout is very cynical IMO.

Theres a pedestrian crossing at the bus stop aswell though.

DubTony

A few weeks before the penalty point system was introduced I was done as I crossed the ped lights at Cheeverstown. 43 in a 30 zone iirc. Anyway, I've no real problem with it, good idea if it helps ensure that disabled people coming from the school are protected. My only gripe at the time was it was ten past 11 at night.

Variable speed limits for different times of the day anyone?

Guy:Incognito

Saab Ed wrote: »

They dont thats right but they dont hide around the back of my house very often either making sure nobody is going to break in ( Chance would be a fine thing)

If a lot of people broke into your house regularly enough they just might.

Guy:Incognito

DubTony wrote: »

Variable speed limits for different times of the day anyone?

Can you imagine the raft of moaners starting threads evry day? "fooking gards done me and it was only 10 past 7" "I didnt know the speed limits drops" etc etc.

unkel

Stekelly wrote: »

If a lot of people broke into your house regularly enough they just might.

They just might. If and only if several hundred people would break into his house every hour and if they could impose a €80 fixed penalty fine on all of them too

eringobragh

Stekelly wrote: »

Can you imagine the raft of moaners starting threads evry day? "fooking gards done me and it was only 10 past 7" "I didnt know the speed limits drops" etc etc.

No reason why it shouldn't??

Infairness it works well here in Australia:

School Zones: 40k During school hours and WELL signposted

Other variable zones have BIG illuminated speed signs not the compact disc sized speed limit signs in Ireland.

cyclopath2001

The-Game wrote: »

trying to watch out for hidden Gardai isnt the way to do it, its simply a money spinner.

Why do you need to 'watch out for hidden Gardai' if you're obeying the law?

OldmanMondeo

If someone was actually to do a search in this forum, you would find the exact same topic about the exact same road, with the same comments from within the last year, Hmmm.

As pointed out, spped check have been on this road for at least 15 years. The speed limit on this road has never changed, except when we went all European and that was a "straight-ish" conversion. The only real change is more traffic and the new section of road at the Spawell roundabout linking to the Firhouse road.

Pedro K

Keith C wrote: »

Someone is making the point of scholl kids getting off at bus stops at spawell, then why are guards there most sunday? no school kids then.
The speed trap here is a money spinner no other use.

However I agree with the traps at cheeverstown, mentally handicapped people cross here numerous times daily & people tend to belt down this road.

Exactly. My Grandparents on both sides live down that way and every Saturday the family goes to the nanas house for dinner. As I would be coming from Tallaght I'd cross the M50 heading for the spawell.

Often I would let my parents go ahead, get an extra hours kip or so, and follow them down in my own car.
9 times out of 10 I get a phone call from my Mam telling me there's a speed trap there.

This is on a Saturday afternoon! No school.

Also, Has anyone taken into consideration where it is that they're clocking you? Is it coming down the hill? It must be a fair bit back, because I've often seen people pulled in at the bus stop.

Cuddlesworth

Pedro K wrote: »

Also, Has anyone taken into consideration where it is that they're clocking you? Is it coming down the hill? It must be a fair bit back, because I've often seen people pulled in at the bus stop.

The bus stop bike cop clocks cars coming down the hill. The following speed check catches cars on the next downward hill.

McGrath5

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Why do you need to 'watch out for hidden Gardai' if you're obeying the law?

Because in Ireland, theres a difference between driving safely and driving legally.
I think doing 55kph down that stretch of road isnt exactly dangerous driving but there have been plenty of people who have had points on there licence and a fine for doing so, thats why you need to watch out for a hidden gardai.