Crazy behaviour on M50 this afternoon

djk1000

Hey, first time posting in motors, so be nice!

I was driving southbound on the M50 coming up to Tallaght at just before 5pm and I saw a fender bender involving about 9 cars. Looks like it was a minor pileup, with one car running into another.

Now, here's my issue, 4-5 of these drivers had left their cars in the middle carriageway, in rush hour, on a feckin motorway! Not only that, but they were all standing in the middle lane exchanging insurance info! This obviously caused a bit of a tailback, traffic was nearly stationary coming up to this, creating another hazard.

How stupid can people be? a motorway is an incredibly dangerous place to be standing at anytime, not only could they be killed, their stationary cars could have been involved in another pile up while they where parked there, or there could have been another accident in the traffic caused behind them.

Added to all this, in the traffic jam before the accident, I saw a car reversing up the hard shoulder to get back to the last turn off, obviously to avoid the jam.

This really made my blood boil! How do some people get licenses!

Merch

This does not really surprise me,
Not sure how keen I'd be to move my car if it was bad, but not a fender bender
and if I wasn't injured I sure as hell wouldnt be standing on the motorway swapping details cos you might get injured pretty soon.

As for the reversing, saw a woman reverse around the N81/M50 roundabout (towards me) she missed her turn hit the brakes and stuck it in reverse?? the dumb b***ch didnt realise she could keep going and get it the next time, if there had been anyone else driving or it was wet, I'd have been involved in accident avoiding her or gone off the road as I had to do dangerous swerving to avoid her.

Colonel Sanders

Merch wrote: »

As for the reversing, saw a woman reverse around the N81/M50 roundabout (towards me) she missed her turn hit the brakes and stuck it in reverse?? the dumb b***ch didnt realise she could keep going and get it the next time, if there had been anyone else driving or it was wet, I'd have been involved in accident avoiding her or gone off the road as I had to do dangerous swerving to avoid her.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

WTF? People like this should have their licences taken away

-Corkie-

Welcome to driving in ireland;);). I dont even pass any notice any more, i gave it up years ago. Mopes and dopes is all ill say about them.

Merch

actually thats not the only experience I had of people reversing out of the blue, iwas gonna do a rant on it, my experiences of idiots

Mc Love

Worse i have ever encountered is someone driving the wrong way as in towards me on the SRR in Limerick - SCARY!!

Merch

Ha maybe mine seem tame compared to that, usually people reversing towards me like lunatics in carparks for a space when there are loads or when that dumb c*w reversed to get the card into the exit barrier machine (no probs there) but she left it in reverse and when the barrier pulled up she lurched back towards me at high speed, I stood on the horn she jams on looks in the mirror and gives me the finger dozy ****e

Muckie

Merch wrote: »

Ha maybe mine seem tame compared to that, usually people reversing towards me like lunatics in carparks for a space when there are loads or when that dumb c*w reversed to get the card into the exit barrier machine (no probs there) but she left it in reverse and when the barrier pulled up she lurched back towards me at high speed, I stood on the horn she jams on looks in the mirror and gives me the finger dozy ****e

Nothing surprises me driving any more, when like your example, she's totally in the wrong but looks at you. The Blame Game i call it.
Its always some one else's fault. Defensive driving all the way folks!

Poly

Yeah, I don't understand why the guards insist on talking to people in their cars on the M50. Some RTE show about the guards last year was an example of this.

In the UK, it's very clear. If your car breaks down or stops, get out, get over the crash barrier and up on the bank.

Merch

The thing is regardless of wether its in carparks or on the M50, I don't think people have learned the right way and certainly don't have the attitude to driving.
I didn't pass my test first time, (2nd) I'm not saying I'm perfect (then or now) I dislike hearing of how people that passed it on the first time (god knows how) but then drive like an idiot. I'm not up for some kind of routine failing of tests just to make people get cop on, but I know some people think that as they passed their test first time around they are some kind of professional driver?? are better than everyone else when it appears as if they were just lucky.

Basically the testing system isn't up to date and people don't take that into account, go ouyt and drive like they have a licence to kill, (literally)

I read an article which was about the system in Canada and Australia. I think it was both (not 100% sure) where the system for learning and licencing is more progressive and over a period of time, instead of ohh here's your licence off you go, you get a restricted licence, if over a few years you dont have any accidents or convictions (for driving presumably) I think they upgrade it (again not 100%) you are limited as to when u can drive, (ie not in the times where statistics prove fatal crashes occur at certain hours) until you have built up experience. I understood from the article if something happened during that time which suggested you weren't driving safely, they could renew the restricted period of 2 years. I think it makes people think they might lose this valuable privilege and that fosters an attitude of, I'll drive with care, that plus useful monitoring, not checking people for speed on open roads, although I do think excessive speed is dangerous, its worse and different times and places.

Viper_JB

Merch wrote: »

As for the reversing, saw a woman reverse around the N81/M50 roundabout (towards me) she missed her turn hit the brakes and stuck it in reverse?? the dumb b***ch didnt realise she could keep going and get it the next time, if there had been anyone else driving or it was wet, I'd have been involved in accident avoiding her or gone off the road as I had to do dangerous swerving to avoid her.

I had a similar incident on the M1 again a woman driving in the outter lane jams on the brakes for no reason, nearly causing two cars to go into the back of her, one of them being me, she then proceeds to pull into the hard shoulder, after coming to a complete stop on the motorway, and then starts reversing back to the last exit so that she can skip to toll on the next one >.<!

Merch

Viper_JB wrote: »

I had a similar incident on the M1 again a woman driving in the outter lane jams on the brakes for no reason, nearly causing two cars to go into the back of her, one of them being me, she then proceeds to pull into the hard shoulder, after coming to a complete stop on the motorway, and then starts reversing back to the last exit so that she can skip to toll on the next one >.<!

Cant say I ever did that myself but seen it a few times, was in a car once with a work colleague, years ago, we were heading to Blanchardstown for something cant remember, he was in such a rush he missed the turn, I said to him did he realise we just missed the turn(I didn't expect this) hammers on the brakes, pulls in to the hard shoulder, asked him what the hell he was doing he just sticks it in reverse and says ah sure it'll be alright, like f**k it will not if a artic hits us it wont, not even if a mini hit us (never said that last bit to him) I did say to him look you just cant do what you want on the roads. Someone ****s up on the road, learn from it and become a better driver (we all make mistakes) no need for us to compound them by rushing a stupid decision,just go to the next turn and don't make the same mistake again.
Needless to say that guy crashed his car (that same car driving too fast on a backroad) I dont know if he's learned a lesson from that, but I never got in a car with him again after that M50 stunt.

wyrn

They were standing around in the middle lane, seriously! How irresponsible can you get.

Last Friday I was driving down the M50 and I was stuck on the middle lane, trying to get back to the left lane but the amount of lorries in the left/middle lane was unreal and these lorries were fairly booting it down. I was sandwiched between all of these lorries (couldn't overtake on the right hand lane as my exit was coming up and I was keeping to the speed limit unlike most cars in the right hand lane). It was scary enough being between all of these lorries at that speed. Now had I been outside of the car, standing in the middle lane..........

I too saw a car reverse along a hard shoulder on the M4 and up the off ramp and down a good bit on the other side while all the time reversing!

1nk3d4L1f3

djk1000 wrote: »

Hey, first time posting in motors, so be nice!

I was driving southbound on the M50 coming up to Tallaght at just before 5pm and I saw a fender bender involving about 9 cars. Looks like it was a minor pileup, with one car running into another.

Now, here's my issue, 4-5 of these drivers had left their cars in the middle carriageway, in rush hour, on a feckin motorway! Not only that, but they were all standing in the middle lane exchanging insurance info! This obviously caused a bit of a tailback, traffic was nearly stationary coming up to this, creating another hazard.

How stupid can people be? a motorway is an incredibly dangerous place to be standing at anytime, not only could they be killed, their stationary cars could have been involved in another pile up while they where parked there, or there could have been another accident in the traffic caused behind them.

Added to all this, in the traffic jam before the accident, I saw a car reversing up the hard shoulder to get back to the last turn off, obviously to avoid the jam.

This really made my blood boil! How do some people get licenses!

Mehhh... which is worse? Them sorting out the paperwork or you rubbernecking while still driving your car and raging at them for sorting it out.

anneboleyn

It's no wonder the cost of insurance here is so high.. part of the problem is that Driving Instruction has only just bcome regulated and that regulation still isn't enforced, so unqualified people are still teaching kids to drive .. not to mention that driving on a provisional is still happening even though it's supposed to be illegal.. we need to wise up as a country, learn to drive properly, then drive properly and penalise those who don't

Colonel Sanders

When you're on a provisional you're not supposed to drive on a motorway. Fair enough. What I don't understand is by passing a test which doesn't involve motorway driving you are all of a sudden allowed to!

Michael 09

1nk3d4L1f3 wrote: »

Mehhh... which is worse? Them sorting out the paperwork or you rubbernecking while still driving your car and raging at them for sorting it out.

I wouldnt call noticing a group of people standing in the middle lane of a motorway rubber necking!! i'd call it driving with my eyes open!

Mc Love

Merch wrote: »

The thing is regardless of wether its in carparks or on the M50, I don't think people have learned the right way and certainly don't have the attitude to driving.
I didn't pass my test first time, (2nd) I'm not saying I'm perfect (then or now) I dislike hearing of how people that passed it on the first time (god knows how) but then drive like an idiot. I'm not up for some kind of routine failing of tests just to make people get cop on, but I know some people think that as they passed their test first time around they are some kind of professional driver?? are better than everyone else when it appears as if they were just lucky.

Basically the testing system isn't up to date and people don't take that into account, go ouyt and drive like they have a licence to kill, (literally)

I read an article which was about the system in Canada and Australia. I think it was both (not 100% sure) where the system for learning and licencing is more progressive and over a period of time, instead of ohh here's your licence off you go, you get a restricted licence, if over a few years you dont have any accidents or convictions (for driving presumably) I think they upgrade it (again not 100%) you are limited as to when u can drive, (ie not in the times where statistics prove fatal crashes occur at certain hours) until you have built up experience. I understood from the article if something happened during that time which suggested you weren't driving safely, they could renew the restricted period of 2 years. I think it makes people think they might lose this valuable privilege and that fosters an attitude of, I'll drive with care, that plus useful monitoring, not checking people for speed on open roads, although I do think excessive speed is dangerous, its worse and different times and places.

if you could get all the people that got the amnesty when it was back in th 70s/80s to do their tests - there wouldnt be many to pass.

Half of ireland would be off the road probably. Before i got my licence, my mother was bragging about having a full licence even though she never did any test.
Sure shut her up when i passed first time!

angry_bob

1nk3d4L1f3 wrote: »

Mehhh... which is worse? Them sorting out the paperwork or you rubbernecking while still driving your car and raging at them for sorting it out.

It was probably a prat like you who caused the crash.

djk1000

Mehhh... which is worse? Them sorting out the paperwork or you rubbernecking while still driving your car and raging at them for sorting it out.

Traffic was nearly stationary and being an observant motorist, I couldn't help but see the many stopped cars and pedestrians in the middle lane of the M50. Being a person that values my life and the lives of others, I couldn't help but be a little miffed at the situation.
I remained attentive to the road, (proved by the fact that I didn't run into anyone) then I sped up at the same pace as the rest of traffic (or I would have driven into the car in front).

So not really rubbernecking in a haze of rage as you suggest, but for the record , they were worse, far worse.;)

Mental Mickey

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

When you're on a provisional you're not supposed to drive on a motorway. Fair enough. What I don't understand is by passing a test which doesn't involve motorway driving you are all of a sudden allowed to!

Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. As a result, I tend to stay well away from the M50.

Juwwi

l once saw a guy reversing back on the fast lane of the m1.

l think something fell off his roof rack or sumthing..

l was in the inside lane and couldnt belive what l was seeing as l approached him.

Mental Mickey

angry_bob wrote: »

It was probably a prat like you who caused the crash.

:rolleyes:

jimmycrackcorm

One thing is for sure - these accidents don't occur on the outside lane.

Drummerboy08

angry_bob wrote: »

It was probably a prat like you who caused the crash.

He really is angry, isn't he?

bongi69

Saw this incident myself while heading northbound. As OP mentioned, people were out in the middle of the motorway. Didn't pay too much attention to it though, was more concerned about the dodgy conditions

RandomAccess

Merch wrote: »

... she lurched back towards me at high speed, I stood on the horn she jams on looks in the mirror and gives me the finger dozy ****e

Thats when the red mist descends, race after her, run her of the road and grab your tyre iron.

RandomAccess

Merch wrote: »

...
As for the reversing, saw a woman reverse around the N81/M50 roundabout (towards me) she missed her turn hit the brakes and stuck it in reverse?? the dumb b***ch didnt realise she could keep going and get it the next time, if there had been anyone else driving or it was wet, I'd have been involved in accident avoiding her or gone off the road as I had to do dangerous swerving to avoid her.

Yeah, I happened upon some dozy bastard in an X5 reversing on the station roundabout in Letterkenny at night, that should be an instant ban offence.
I think he got his licence in a lucky bag.

I've been thinking of getting an in car camera system, I've lost count of the near misses at this point. Obviously not saying anyone is a saint, but a certain level of cop on is required.