Stupid Motorway Users!!!!!

djimi

cronin_j wrote: »

Its not illegal to not do the speed limit ya know.. (UNFORTUNATELY)

Suppose driving along on a motorway doing 50km could be classified as careless driving.

Isnt there a minimum speed limit on motorways, something like 30mph or 40mph? Im pretty sure if youre caught doing 30mph on an open motorway (ie not in heavy traffic) you can be pulled, but I could be wrong.

the_syco

Going off the M4, onto the N4 (which has a speed limit of 100), the car in front of me slows down to 60 for no reason. Flashed them until they moved out of my way. F**king numpties old woman.

cjt156

mowhawk wrote: »

If you are driving correctly joining, driving on and exiting a motorway you should never have to touch your brake pedal at all (not even once).

Unless, of course, a car ahead of you is also merging, but too slow to do so, trapping you in the on-ramp. Which is what the OP described. And is something I see regularly.

keithclancy

Gazzydee wrote: »

On the Autobahn in Germany you get kicked off the motorway for goin under 80mph on some parts if that rule was enforced in here in Ireland then there would be almost 0 accidents and road deaths on motorways!!!!!!!

130 km/h is the maximum recommended speed, most people drive at 120, i'd say only 20 % (as a guess) drive over 130.


Alot of the unrestricted roads are too shít to drive faster than that anyway.

Viper_JB

mowhawk wrote: »

As for fencer, keep it up mate, I would love to be there the day an unmarked Garda car sees you giving the rest of us the benefit of your vast experience and dispensing high quality 'driving instruction' and you sitting there on the hard shoulder wondering why you are being done for dangerous driving.

I actually like his idea these people won't learn untill they either kill someone or have a big crash or both. Surely some education is the better alternative god knows the RSA sure as hell ain't gonna do it.

limklad

shinikins wrote: »

My sister is one of these crazy people who like to slow down before joining the motorway from the slip road. She will actually brake before moving from the slip into traffic! The first time i was in the car with her when she tried this i nearly had a sh1t hemmorage, but she see's nothing wrong with it-in fact it doesn't even register with her that she is doing it, and will deny her own actions! The sorry fact is that she is only driving 5 years, so she can hardly blame her instructor on not teaching her the modern way of driving, and even worse than that, she won't allow me to have her children in the car when i am driving because i am a "bad driver" (I passed first time with very few faults and i have had no accidents-she failed twice, and has had several minor accidents, many of which while she had the kids in the car-obviously I am a bad driver!!) She alos likes to hog the outside lane while crawling along, and will berate any driver who is forced to undertake. Its an attitude thing, she is of the opinion that she is entitled to drive in this manner as she has her little pink piece of paper that says she is entitled to drive.

Driving Instructors cannot take any learner on a Motorway because they (Provisional drivers) are banned from driving on a Motorway.

Saying that Driving Instructors must be the bravest people on the planet with handing over their lives to Provisional drivers. There badly needs to be simulators or off road Driving locations for Driving before taking people onto the roads and simulate all kinds of Weather and road conditions.

I am in favour of people repeating their Driving test every ten years, less if you have X number of penalty points or persistent in Court for driving offences, so they are updated on current safety laws. If their insurance costs goes up, then they won't be long improving their driving skills and attitude!

limklad

RSA is just a mouth piece nothing else.

Traffic Corps needs to enforce current laws and better driving skills, until then we will be talking about poor driving standard for donkey years to come..

Viper_JB

limklad wrote: »

RSA is just a mouth piece nothing else.

Traffic Corps needs to enforce current laws and better driving skills, until then we will be talking about poor driving standard for donkey years to come..

I've actually come to the conclusion that no one in the RSA has a car or drives for themselves.

fullstop

ShiresV2 wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_curve

That graph is a bit out of date!

corktina wrote: »

I had the opposite to the OP yesterday...lady creeps down the slip road gets to the bottom, indicates right and goes straight out to the overtaking lane....nothing in the inside lane at all..... i had almost no choice but to undertake....sailed by her on the speed limiter...90km/h

I had some idiot do this on the M1 recently. I pulled out into the overtaking lane to let them merge and they pulled straight across in front of me...and proceeded to sit at 100kph. I flashed and blew the horn a few times and ended up having to undertake them, fcuking idiots. A number of cars behind me had to do the same.

CarMuppet

There seem to be two types of drivers on this little planet:

1): People who want to drive.

2): People who have to drive.

The first group tend to be enthusiasts or love their cars and the thrill of driving (most people here).

The later tend to be initially quite timid @ the start.

My wife has a friend who will only drive on pre-rehearsed routes. If there is a diversion she is in trouble. She is scared behind the wheel but needs to drive from her home to her job every day. There is no public transport system that will take her on this route. She said if she never had to drive again she would be very happy. She simply hates driving. The same girl is highly qualified (not dumb!) works for a pharmaceutical company making drugs to cure people of horrible ailments.

My point is this; a good/excellent driver will maintain a cocoon of safely around his/her vehicle at all times. He/she will be able to stop his/her car safely, in his/her lane in the distance he/she sees to be clear. Abiding to this rule of thumb if you encounter a novice driver, or even a lunatic, you should be able to avoid a collision without much fuss. It might be annoying etc, but at least no one gets hurt including (and more importantly) the cars!


Most of the posts here actually state that the poster can see a problem growing in the distance, but choose not to change their speed or course to avoid an issue. Instead brake hard in order to “teach the other person a lesson”.

WRT Driving instructors, I’m not too sure the standard of all instructors are brilliant.. like any profession.. some are fair some are excellent. I’ve seen professional guys in the full kitted out cars ( Big ‘L’ pyramid on the roof) doing some real silly stuff in towns… why? Because they too have 15 years under their belt and take shortcuts.

WRT to the driving exam; it really bears no real resemblance to everyday driving. The examiner will just get a ‘feeling’ whether the person can control the car to some degree. Some of the things not tested (or can’t test for are):

- Tyre blow out
- High speed Motorway driving & etiquette
- Front wheel skid & recovery
- Rear wheel skid & recovery
- 4 wheel skid & recovery
- Cadence braking (most L drivers drive older cars with no-abs) & REAL LIFE emergency braking.
- Swerving
- Malfunction of controls
- Aquaplaning.
- Snow / Ice driving
- Overtaking

It’s a cruel reality the for many drivers the first time they encounter a high speed skid it’s the last thing they see.


/RANT


Cheers,
CarMuppet

bongi69

Viper_JB wrote: »

I've actually come to the conclusion that no one in the RSA has a car or drives for themselves.

+1

According to the RSA I'm the most dangerous person on the roads of this country. I'm a 23yr old young fella so the RSA/Gaybo assums that I race around housing estates at 80KMH with rap music blaring from my 12" sub paying more attention to texting my mates while at the wheel. And since I've had my full licence less than 12 months, I should not be allowed passengers in the car, so when my partner goes into labour, she can forget me driving her to the hospital or bringing her and the baby home because I'm a menace in the RSA's eyes. [/Rant at RSA]

I will admit, I used the M50 when I had my Learners. It was more of a necessity as I had to pick up someone from the airport, and before I attempted it I looked up the Rules of the Road on motorway driving, followed the rules and I was fine. And please, no high horses, I am fully aware that what I did was wrong.

Now a daily M50 user, I see all of the stuff mentioned before almost daily. Remember I'm supposed to be the menace, but too many times I've been making my way along in the left lane at 100KMH, and some oul one from Gaybo's generation will merge at 60KMH, will full disregard for the rules of the road which state one should match speed before merging. If there is no space for me to move into lane 2, the ABS gets a work out.

The TV ads are a waste of our taxpayers money, the roundabout one did nothing, and neither has the motorway one. Instead of chastising young drivers, motormouth Gaybo (who may I add has no relevant qualification for his position) should maybe address real problems on our roads, not the ones he thinks are the real problems

Edit: A few years ago I went to Florida with the partner and her family. Her dad rented a car, and on our way to the hotel he got pulled over by the cops for doing 50MPH on the highway. They have a minimum speed of 55MPH. He didn't get a ticket as the cop was a little lenient, but got a stern talking to. Considering the max speed on a highway there is 70, thats a 15MPH band to drive within, or the cops will pull you.

Cookie_Monster

shinikins wrote: »

My sister is one of these crazy people who like to slow down before joining the motorway from the slip road. She will actually brake before moving from the slip into traffic! The first time i was in the car with her when she tried this i nearly had a sh1t hemmorage, but she see's nothing wrong with it-in fact it doesn't even register with her that she is doing it, and will deny her own actions! The sorry fact is that she is only driving 5 years, so she can hardly blame her instructor on not teaching her the modern way of driving, and even worse than that, she won't allow me to have her children in the car when i am driving because i am a "bad driver" (I passed first time with very few faults and i have had no accidents-she failed twice, and has had several minor accidents, many of which while she had the kids in the car-obviously I am a bad driver!!) She alos likes to hog the outside lane while crawling along, and will berate any driver who is forced to undertake. Its an attitude thing, she is of the opinion that she is entitled to drive in this manner as she has her little pink piece of paper that says she is entitled to drive.

you should get her a copy of the ROR for her next birthday / christmas. she may even take some of it on-board before she kills somebody with driving like that.

OldmanMondeo

the_syco wrote: »

Going off the M4, onto the N4 (which has a speed limit of 100), the car in front of me slows down to 60 for no reason. Flashed them until they moved out of my way. F**king numpties old woman.

You sure, thought it went from 120kph to 80kph? or is there a more gradual slow down, 120kph - 100kph - 80kph?

alanmc

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

You sure, thought it went from 120kph to 80kph? or is there a more gradual slow down, 120kph - 100kph - 80kph?

Nope, definitely 100Kph (at Mary Lynch's pub). For my sins, I have to travel it everyday. It's weird cos some people think the motorway ends at the Kinnegad exit and start slowing there. :eek:

OldmanMondeo

alanmc wrote: »

Nope, definitely 100Kph (at Mary Lynch's pub). For my sins, I have to travel it everyday. It's weird cos some people think the motorway ends at the Kinnegad exit and start slowing there. :eek:

I was thinking the other end Leixlip/ Lucan, I know the Mary Lynch end ok.

alanmc

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

I was thinking the other end Leixlip/ Lucan, I know the Mary Lynch end ok.

Yeah, you're right. That end does drop from 120kph to 80kph in one fell swoop.

superflyninja

shinikins wrote: »

My sister is one of these crazy people who like to slow down before joining the motorway from the slip road. She will actually brake before moving from the slip into traffic! The first time i was in the car with her when she tried this i nearly had a sh1t hemmorage, but she see's nothing wrong with it-in fact it doesn't even register with her that she is doing it, and will deny her own actions! The sorry fact is that she is only driving 5 years, so she can hardly blame her instructor on not teaching her the modern way of driving, and even worse than that, she won't allow me to have her children in the car when i am driving because i am a "bad driver" (I passed first time with very few faults and i have had no accidents-she failed twice, and has had several minor accidents, many of which while she had the kids in the car-obviously I am a bad driver!!) She alos likes to hog the outside lane while crawling along, and will berate any driver who is forced to undertake. Its an attitude thing, she is of the opinion that she is entitled to drive in this manner as she has her little pink piece of paper that says she is entitled to drive.

No offence but she sounds like a pl!ck.Driving is a learning process.People who refuse to learn dont get no repec' off me!

limklad

CarMuppet wrote: »

WRT to the driving exam; it really bears no real resemblance to everyday driving. The examiner will just get a ‘feeling’ whether the person can control the car to some degree. Some of the things not tested (or can’t test for are):

- Tyre blow out
- High speed Motorway driving & etiquette
- Front wheel skid & recovery
- Rear wheel skid & recovery
- 4 wheel skid & recovery
- Cadence braking (most L drivers drive older cars with no-abs) & REAL LIFE emergency braking.
- Swerving
- Malfunction of controls
- Aquaplaning.
- Snow / Ice driving
- Overtaking

It’s a cruel reality the for many drivers the first time they encounter a high speed skid it’s the last thing they see.


/RANT


Cheers,
CarMuppet

I agree with the driving exam revamp but need need off road driving centres and simulators of car similar to airplane simulators, that you must pass before been allowed onto the road on a Provisional Licence.

If pass above 95% on a rigorous Driving test (Not like current test) then put in to a new higher driving class and if you pass that, then you are entitled to much cheaper Insurance. This would reward good motorists.

Also include everything above on all Professional drivers who must drive in their job no matter what profession they are. i.e if you are a sales person who travels to customer locations above X Mileage per year. I.e It will be part of Expenses incurred submitted to their company for traceability. If anyone who has a company car should be made to pass the higher requirements before allowing to drive a company car. There is too much abuse of family members driving companies cars recklessly. Van/Taxi drivers must pass a rigorous Driving test to allow taking loads/customers.

I would also include
1/. Basic map reading and
2/. Route Planning (especially when driving to an unfamiliar location).

limklad

Viper_JB wrote: »

I've actually come to the conclusion that no one in the RSA has a car or drives for themselves.

I listen to Gay Byrne once on one of his rants and plaster all young driver as reckless on the Radio and then I witness a Mother in her mid 30's
1/. passing me out on a series of dangerous bends on the Croagh side of Adare (heading Croagh direction downhill).
2/. She was happily talking on her phone with one hand in an intense conversation.
3/. A toddler (2-3 years old) unrestrained moving back and forth between the Driver and Front passenger seat.
4/. and a young infant (approx 3 months old) in an improper position in the front seat.
5/. I was doing 60mph therefore she broke the speed limit. ( estimate 75mph)
6/. No view of oncoming traffic (I did not have any!!) because of the series of high walls and trees.

I reacted quickly and braked hard. She nearly swiped in a dangerous manoeuvre barely missing my front bumper as the oncoming bus appeared.
In a fraction of a second I saw the expression on the oncoming Bus Eireann driver from Tralee of fear in his eyes.

After regaining my senses after stopping on the road, I speeded up to catch her to get her number plate to 1/. Report her dangerous driving to the Guards and 2/. report her to the heath board for knowingly putting her kids in serious danger.

After getting to the stretch of road that widened out, I could not see her as I passed the next crosses, I looked down both she was no where to be seen.

shinikins

limklad wrote: »

Driving Instructors cannot take any learner on a Motorway because they (Provisional drivers) are banned from driving on a Motorway.

shinikins wrote: »

I truely believe that to qualify for your driving license there should be a motorway test.

Sorry, I was unclear, what i should have said there was that to qualify for your full driving license you should have to do a motorway test. At the moment, once you have your certificate of competency to drive in your hand, you pretty much can do what you want. I think that anyone who passes their test should be give a restricted license forbidding them from using the motorway until such time that they complete a motorway. The Polish have a system whereby an provisional driver must prove that they have completed lessons in different driving conditions before they can apply for a test, and their test is divided into several sections. If they don't complete a certain section(like driving on a motorway) then they are restricted from using it. Simples!!

I do agree with you limklad, that every driver should be retested after a certain amount of years, some of the worst drivers i've seen are people in their 40's and 50's who should (in theory) have enough experience on the road that they drive safely. In reality, most of the people in their 50's anyway, would not have had to pass a test!!

Anan1

Sc@recrow wrote: »

sorry but your sister is a cúnt of a driver.

superflyninja wrote: »

No offence but she sounds like a pl!ck.

Take it easy with the language, lads. I understand your frustration, but still.

limklad

shinikins wrote: »

I do agree with you limklad, that every driver should be retested after a certain amount of years, some of the worst drivers i've seen are people in their 40's and 50's who should (in theory) have enough experience on the road that they drive safely. In reality, most of the people in their 50's anyway, would not have had to pass a test!!

Many drivers (approx 45,000) in their 40's, 50's and 60's got their licence without a driving test. There was an amnesty by the government due to a waiting list in 1979.

Read more here in Dáil Éireann statement

http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0317/D.0317.197911270038.html
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055525991

Dáil &#201 wrote: »

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Driving Licences.
http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0317/D.0317.197911280021.html

Mr. B. Desmond: Is the Minister aware of the public reaction to a situation where, of the 45,000 people who have benefited from the irresponsible decision he took, at least 15,000 of them had failed the driving test and that they are currently driving about to the horror and shock of the testers themselves and of a large number of citizens who must face them on the roads? There could be no justification for that decision.


Mr. Barrett: They are not inexperienced drivers.

Mr. B. Desmond: Is the Minister not aware that 15,000 of them actually failed the driving test and the Minister gave them licences?

Mr. Barrett: At the first test 50 per cent of applicants fail; at the second test 80 per cent of applicants pass. That is the way it has been.

Mr. Keating: One lunatic is too many.

Mr. Barrett: Did the Deputy have a test?

Mr. Keating: Yes, and I got it first time.

Mr. B. Desmond: Is the Minister not aware that in the last 12 months, according to a reply he gave yesterday, 33,000 failed the driving test and that some 45,000 benefited overall from the change in the regulations which he made? It is a fair assumption that there are now at least 15,000 to 20,000 persons driving who failed the driving test at least once and quite a number of them failed the second time and yet the Minister gave them a licence.

(Interruptions.)

Mr. Barrett: I have said that at the second test 80 per cent pass.

What worries me is that 15,000 out of 45,000 at least 1 Failed Driving Test got their Driver licence and probably still driving on our roads, the rest did no test and have no idea of their bad driving.

Voodoomelon

limklad wrote: »

I listen to Gay Byrne once on one of his rants and plaster all young driver as reckless on the Radio and then I witness a Mother in her mid 30's
1/. passing me out on a series of dangerous bends on the Croagh side of Adare (heading Croagh direction downhill).
2/. She was happily talking on her phone with one hand in an intense conversation.
3/. A toddler (2-3 years old) unrestrained moving back and forth between the Driver and Front passenger seat.
4/. and a young infant (approx 3 months old) in an improper position in the front seat.
5/. I was doing 60mph therefore she broke the speed limit. ( estimate 75mph)
6/. No view of oncoming traffic (I did not have any!!) because of the series of high walls and trees.

I reacted quickly and braked hard. She nearly swiped in a dangerous manoeuvre barely missing my front bumper as the oncoming bus appeared.
In a fraction of a second I saw the expression on the oncoming Bus Eireann driver from Tralee of fear in his eyes.

After regaining my senses after stopping on the road, I speeded up to catch her to get her number plate to 1/. Report her dangerous driving to the Guards and 2/. report her to the heath board for knowingly putting her kids in serious danger.

After getting to the stretch of road that widened out, I could not see her as I passed the next crosses, I looked down both she was no where to be seen.

A woman on the phone cut me up on a roundabout the other day, pulled out right in front of me. I knew she was going to do it and I had my foot on the brake and sure enough out she came. Hand at the ready, I hit the horn for a good 3 seconds as she sailed right infront of my bonnet and she nearly jumped out of her skin, dropping the phone to the floor in the process!

She won't go through a roundabout on the phone again in a hurry.

bongi69

AAAARRRGGG!
Literally off the M50, and when I entered going northbound at Ballymount, moved into lane 3 as there was plenty of people tootling along in the centre lane as normal. Going about 110kmh and some eejit enters the motorway doing 80 and moves straight to lane 3 infront of me. Thank jaysus for ABS or else I probably would have spun out/hit the fecker.

-Corkie-

Thank god that M50 is in Dublin.........

corktina

SARASON wrote: »

Thank god that M50 is in Dublin.........

hell yes...what if we had that in Duhallow AND the Kanturk mini-roundabout!!!!

Voodoomelon

This about sums up the M50.

There was 4 in a row, then 3...

Blazer

Anan1 wrote: »

Take it easy with the language, lads. I understand your frustration, but still.

sorry....but every day I meet at least one of these drivers..
in fact after leaving work yesterday I was on the motorway and in front of me in the outside lane was a 40-50 year woman wearing thick glasses doing 80kph, hunched over the steering wheel oblivious to the 30 or 40 cards all held up behind her.
Luckily I was first and was able to undertake her before the inside lane traffic caught upto her..
Looking back in my mirror I could see the traffic on the inside passing her but anyone behind her in the fast lane was screwed and still stuck behind her doing 80kph..
A mile later on I couldn't even see the traffic behind me so obviously she was still holding up traffic.
People like her shouldn't be allowed on roads...if you can't drive to the road limit then you have no right to be driving on them.
In fact you will fail your test if you do not drive at the limits.


Last night then some idiot decided in his micra that he'd able to pull out directly onto the main road with a 100kph limit and actually beat me even though I was doing 100kph..
Cue about 5 secs of beeping the horn at which point he shoved into the hard shoulder still only doing about 50kph...I could see him giving me the finger in the rearview so I returned the favour

keithclancy

Sc@recrow wrote: »

Last night then some idiot decided in his micra that he'd able to pull out directly onto the main road with a 100kph limit and actually beat me even though I was doing 100kph..
Cue about 5 secs of beeping the horn at which point he shoved into the hard shoulder still only doing about 50kph...I could see him giving me the finger in the rearview so I returned the favour

One thing i've learned is to never use your horn in anger, just as an alert to let the other road user that something is wrong.

Coming into work this morning I stalled the car, was driving a rental for the last few days. The guy behind me f*ecking lost it .. blasting his horn, screaming out the window and then drove up my ass for around 500 meters. I was only stopped for about 2 seconds ffs

Never happened when I had Irish plates... only when I got dutch ones. Having a Dutch plate in Ireland is the equivolent of having "L" plates in Ireland.

Blazer

keithclancy wrote: »

One thing i've learned is to never use your horn in anger, just as an alert to let the other road user that something is wrong.

Coming into work this morning I stalled the car, was driving a rental for the last few days. The guy behind me f*ecking lost it .. blasting his horn, screaming out the window and then drove up my ass for around 500 meters. I was only stopped for about 2 seconds ffs

Never happened when I had Irish plates... only when I got dutch ones. Having a Dutch plate in Ireland is the equivolent of having "L" plates in Ireland.

wasn't in anger..It was to alert him that pulling out in front of a car doing 100kph 100 yards max behind him is a really really bad idea and that he better moved his ass over fast unless he wanted the front engine of a Nissan Primera sitting up in his passenger seat beside him
I'm not slamming on my brakes with about 10 cards following close behind me..even gently braking wasn't going to slow me down in time..