Speed Limits

ergonomics

I think we all agree that some of the speed limits in Ireland are a joke but can I please ask that some drivers stop with the intimidation of cars who follow these speed limits.

I regularly drive from Kilkenny to Limerick and have to pass through a number of towns on my way. The speed limit always drops from 100km/h to 60 or 50km/h through these little towns. I think a lot of these speed limits are uncalled for, but at the same time I don't want to get a fine and points so I obey them. It takes all of two minutes to get through a town and slowing down doesn't lengthen your journey by any great stretch of time yet nearly every time I slow to the speed limit I get tailgated, flashed or beeped and I'm sick of it.

Like I said, I agree with you that the speed limit is stupid, but I'm not going to ignore it. With all due respect, f*ck off and stop trying to force me to go faster because you don't agree with the speed limit. I know someone will retort with 'Well don't force us to go slower either' and that's fair enough, but if you don't like my speed, overtake me. Oh wait, you don't overtake me because as soon as I start driving at 100km/h again you drop back to a speck in my rearview mirror, unable to catch up until I slow down in a town at which point you start intimidating me again.

hobochris

Sounds like your referring to the people who do 60-80 regardless of the speed limit.

i.e. limit is 50km they do 70km, limit is 120km they do 70 km.

stealthyspeeder

I sometimes usually always stick to the limit going through towns, but if the limit coming out of the towm goes from 50 to 100 and the car in front of me is not giving it the beans, Im right up there "encouraging" them along!

Cionád

hobochris wrote: »

Sounds like your referring to the people who do 60-80 regardless of the speed limit.

i.e. limit is 50km they do 70km, limit is 120km they do 70 km.

Hate them so much.

Worst is when your waiting a few miles to pass them out on a 100km/h road and you come to a town, you slow to 60/50, they continue along oblivious, and by the time you are through the town there is another 3-4 cars between you and slowbeans, all waiting for an opportunity to take him.

You

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

I sometimes usually always stick to the limit going through towns, but if the limit coming out of the towm goes from 50 to 100 and the car in front of me is not giving it the beans, Im right up there "encouraging" them along!

Don't encourage them, overtake them..

markpb

ergonomics wrote: »

IThe speed limit always drops from 100km/h to 60 or 50km/h through these little towns. I think a lot of these speed limits are uncalled for, but at the same time I don't want to get a fine and points so I obey them.

I think a lot of roads have daft limits but a 50kph limit through a built up area is hardly crazy, is it?

stealthyspeeder

You wrote: »

Don't encourage them, overtake them..

Usually on that strech of road they have a solid white line on the "exiting town" side :(

Busta Hyman

tbh i have no problem with ppl obeying the speed limit but the tw@'s on the m50 doing 60kmh in the outside lane creating a rolling road block

JimmyCrackCorn!

If someone is tailgateing i pull in to let them off where possible. That way i cant be intimidated as they are gone

pburns

TBH it sounds to me like the OP is perhaps a bit uptight about not getting a penalty point. If the speed limit is too low and cars in front and behind you are travelling a little over the limit I think the chances of penalty points are slim enough.

JimmyCrackCorn!

pburns wrote: »

TBH it sounds to me like the OP is perhaps a bit uptight about not getting a penalty point. If the speed limit is too low and cars in front and behind you are travelling a little over the limit I think the chances of penalty points are slim enough.

It shouldn't matter as if you have sense you can disarm the situation asap the likelihood of an accident or a dangerous overtake goes away.

There is no point in prolonging a bad situation. You might not like it or feel someone else is wrong... but thats beside the point if your uncomfortable and feel at risk do something to make it safe. Drive with your head.

Paulw

I have to agree with the OP. While many don't like the speed limits, if you don't obey them, then you run the risk of a fine and/or points.

If someone ahead of you is doing the limit, especially in a built up area, then leave the space.

I would drive similar to the OP - slowing down to the limit in a town/built up area, but when the road opens up, I'd put my foot down again.

Dartz

Busta Hyman wrote: »

tbh i have no problem with ppl obeying the speed limit but the tw@'s on the m50 doing 60kmh in the outside lane creating a rolling road block

Technically, that is the speed limit on most of it.

Granted it's the most ignored limit in the country, and they probably have a rod up their arses, but still....

Cheeble

If someone is tailgateing i pull in to let them off where possible. That way i cant be intimidated as they are gone

Another way of protecting yourself from tailgaters is to leave lots of space in front of you so that there will be lots of time for the idiots to realise that you're slowing down. Beyond that, decide for yourself what speed you're going to drive at, and don't let somebody behind make that decision for you.

Cheeble-eers

polyfusion

Cheeble wrote: »

Another way of protecting yourself from tailgaters is to leave lots of space in front of you so that there will be lots of time for the idiots to realise that you're slowing down. Beyond that, decide for yourself what speed you're going to drive at, and don't let somebody behind make that decision for you.

Cheeble-eers

Good advise. The closer someone gets to the back of me, the slower I go. I have to consider driving at a safe speed for the conditions - if someone is driving up my hole, it can lead to a dangerous situation if I need to slow down suddenly.

I'm regimental when it comes to obeying the limit in built up areas. If someone has a problem with that, they can take a running jump.

EasyFold

Malahide road is another perfect example where people don't understanding a 60km/h limit. I travel that stretch of road 4 times a day and 90% of the time people speed up until they sit on your arse even though the signs say 60. Sometimes they are so close I can smell the damn toothpaste they used.

On a more serious note I also slow down if someone is tailgating. With a child in the car I am not even considering traveling faster and neither am I oblidged to pull over to fuel their speeding passion. If they want to travel faster feel welcome to overtake on the white line or wherever.

The biggest simile I ever had was a girl flashing me on the stretch of road between Donagmede roundabout and hole in the wall road (past the new park). Needless to say I know they have cops standing there form time to time and this was my lucky day.

She eventually got fed up travelling at 50km/h and made a break in the bus lane and overtook me. At that stage I recon she was doing well over 80...and didn't even see the cops standing with radar. The worst is I caught up with her at the T-Junction so apart from a fine and penalty points she gained absolutely nothing at all..

R.O.R

EasyFold wrote: »

The biggest simile I ever had was a girl flashing me

Yep, would pretty much make my day too

highdef

I will ALWAYS slow from 80/100 to the posted 50/60 limit when approaching towns or villages. The limits in these villages are very appropriate. How would you like if you were crossing the road from the newsagents to your home in your village with cars legally allowed to plough through at 80/100? Also, because of the fact that it's a village/small town means that it's basically a residential area with people around, just like a housing estate. You'd never get a 80/100 limit through your housing estate.
Anyway, as mentioned above I will drive at the limit when conditions permit....less in bad light/rain/fog/unfamiliar roads, etc. But as soon as I approach the 50/60 limit, I will firstly let the car coast and then will apply the brakes so that I am at or below the limit by the time I pass the speed limit sign. I can't even count the number of times that some a$$hole who was a fair bit behind me is suddenly dropping anchor as he doesn't seem to think that I'm going to slow down on the approach to the speed limit sign. Then he/she will hang on to my bumper right through the village (unless they are so selfish and thick to OVERTAKE me in the village, in which case they get a blast of the horn and flashes of the headlights, which incidentally helps to warn any pedestrians ahead who are unaware of a speeding car coming through their village) and when approaching the end of the village, I will prepare to accelerate to the speed limit (again if safe to do so) in a swift and timely manner but never until I pass the speed limit sign.
However, what nearly always happens is that as I begin to accelerate, the car behind me thinks that I am going to continue plodding along at 50/60 so he/she suddenly tries to overtake me, despite the fact that I have already begun to accelerate, and I tend to accelerate rather quickly as the car is well able to. This then means that I have to stop accelerating to let them pass and then more often or not, I catch up with them half a kilometre down the road where I then pass them out as they travel at 80/90 in a 100. They disappear into a spec until I slow down at the next village and then the process starts all over again.......fuppin baxters!!!

kbell

What really pisses me off is the muppets that refuse to drive at the posted limit, ie will do no more that 80kph in a 100kph zone or 60kph in a 80 kph zone irrespective of road condition.
Then they will move onto the hard shoulder just a wee bit and expect you and the carpark they've created behind them to overtake, regardless of oncoming traffic.

rgunning

Driving up to Donegal once I came across a car rigidly sticking to 5 km/h below the limits. I was finding it slightly frustrating. Then I saw the sign in the back window:

"Sorry, any more penalty points and my Mam will kill me"

Too busy laughing to tailgate. They pulled in to let me pass and I was still laughing.

EasyFold

You are one up on me there... But yeah the flash was good :D:D

R.O.R wrote: »

Yep, would pretty much make my day too

bazzachazza

I agree completely with you OP.

Two best examples I can give are :

1)Dundrum town center to M50 road. Roundabout by the centra White scoobie up my harris I'm doing 50k's as there was usually coppers at this stage doing speed checks. He overtakes whilst blasting his horn and passenger giving me the finger(he also overtook on the painted islands) and blasted off. Much too my delight there WAS a motorcycle copper doing speed checks and he ran out and pulled him. My how me and my passengers laughed at him.

2)Enfield village 50k zone driving at 50k's and I get overtaken by a HGV doing at least 80k's +, he then drove through red lights doing the same speed (Lights had only turned red maybe 2-3 secs before). This was the same idiot that took the wrong exit off the Kilcock M4 roundabout and reversed back up the slip onto the roundabout. I found the number for the Haulage company to call and complain as I didn't get the reg number but funny enough it didn't ring through.