Should wire mesh be put on all motorway bridges to prevent stone-throwing?

darkman2

What do you think? It's incredibly dangerous delinquent behaviour and it seems to be happening quite a lot in certain areas around Dublin like parts of the M50 for example and areas like Blanchardstown and Finglas. Is it not time to just put wire on all overbridges? Problem solved on high speed lanes at least.

Amtmann

A gurrier dropped a concrete block from one of the M8 overbridges north of Cahir in late 2007. It fell through a sunroof and broke the driver's arm. I know the Gardaí caught the young fellow, who apparently suffered from AADT. That's the only incident I'd heard of first hand.

How widespread a problem is it really?

mike65

Given the costs I would say yes, indeed its a no-brainer really as it'll also help prevent jumpers in a country with a very high suicide rate.

Cookie_Monster

what about lasers to shoot the rocks. Much less visually intrusive and more cool

While wire will remove the threat of larger objects it would have to be very fine to stop smaller object that won't cause huge damage can still crack screens or be hit.
A lot of M50 bridges seem to already have them. I reckon its a fairly localised issue in general and bridges in such areas should be covered, I don't think it would be needed nationally on every one though

seaniefr

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what about lasers to shoot the rocks. Much less visually intrusive and more cool

While wire will remove the threat of larger objects it would have to be very fine to stop smaller object that won't cause huge damage can still crack screens or be hit.
A lot of M50 bridges seem to already have them. I reckon its a fairly localised issue in general and bridges in such areas should be covered, I don't think it would be needed nationally on every one though

Maybe an army sniper positioned close by?

Sponge Bob

Furet wrote: »

the young fellow, who apparently suffered from AADT.

LOL

Amtmann

Sponge Bob wrote: »

LOL

LOL indeed, I mean attention deficit disorder. Obviously. (Something I apparently have myself. )

deandean

Yeah, observation posts at trouble spots with Army Snipers.
After identifying the newly deceased, track down their parents and bill them the full cost of the exercise.

seaniefr

deandean wrote: »

Yeah, observation posts at trouble spots with Army Snipers.
After identifying the newly deceased, track down their parents and bill them the full cost of the exercise.

positively gushing with sarcasam :D
and there was me trying to give the poor bored army guys something constructive to do:p

KevR

While wire mesh can certainly be justified in certain locations but I don't see the need for it everywhere.

Mesh will prevent any heavy objects being dropped directly down on traffic from a bridge but if these thugs are really determined they could quite easily throw big(ish) stones onto the motorway from nearby the bridge or from an embankment with no bridges nearby.

ardmacha

indeed, I mean attention deficit disorder

That's OK then, he wouldn't have the patience to stand there all day wrecking cars.

corktina

deandean wrote: »

Yeah, observation posts at trouble spots with Army Snipers.
After identifying the newly deceased, track down their parents and bill them the full cost of the exercise.

bill them? shoot them too would be more constructive.

flashforward

mike65 wrote: »

Given the costs I would say yes, indeed its a no-brainer really as it'll also help prevent jumpers in a country with a very high suicide rate.

Your joking right?

Paparazzo

But ders nothin far us.....

mike65

No lreland has people throwing themselves into rivers every day of the week, many don't suceed in their aims. Something that means a jumper would have to pause for thought (and effort) might be the difference. Not to mention for the poor sods on the road below.

Stark

I remember years ago a driver had his chest crushed after some louts threw a concrete block off an overbridge on the N27 South Link Road in Cork City.

flashforward

mike65 wrote: »

No lreland has people throwing themselves into rivers every day of the week, many don't suceed in their aims. Something that means a jumper would have to pause for thought (and effort) might be the difference. Not to mention for the poor sods on the road below.

Id imagine the jumper would be put off enough by the very realistic chance that they would survive the fall - having to recuperate before their next attempt.

mike65

Most people who jump into rivers etc are drunk when they do so, therefore really are not thinking too cleverly but as they are worse for wear a hinderance like fencing even if its not that strong would be a useful deterrent. I dunno if anyone has tried to jump from an overbridge yet.

flashforward

I understand where your coming from mike but I just don't feel it is a justifiable reason for placing wire mesh on overpasses.

And by the same token (assuming here) I dont feel that the relatively low number of cars struck by stones compared to the total number of cars passing under bridges justifies the placing wire mesh on overpasses.

Stark

It would be overkill to do it for every overbridge but it would be a good idea to do it in dodgy places imo.

murphaph

It would be a far better idea to make it a specific offence which carries a specific penalty a custodial sentence for adults and a hefty fine for the parents of children offenders (which includes deductions from the parents dole money etc. if needs be) and then to simply ENFORCE SAID LAW.

Ireland is a land of unenforced law. This has to change. We can't keep building fences etc. to protect ourselves from a minority of out and out scumbags. We should deal with them appropriately and a better investment would be more prisons, removing kids from their parents if their parents are a bad example (drug users, criminals etc.). We need to re-educate large parts of society about right and wrong. That may sound very orwellian but it needs doing. There is a serious lack of common respect for one another in Ireland. Was it always like that? I don't think so....a kid caught doing this in the 50's would have gotten a good hiding from the guards and then another from his father. He would never do it again!

the_syco

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what about lasers to shoot the rocks scumbags. Much less visually intrusive and more cool

FYP :P

Stinicker

Something along the lines of the new Mountjoy net would suffice, although the best solution would be to give the scumbags a bit of time in the joy preferably sharing a cell with a Paedo priest.

flazio

Is there any evidence of this happening in some other country and what measures they took to combat the problem?

yermanoffthetv

murphaph wrote: »

....a kid caught doing this in the 50's would have gotten a good hiding from the guards and then another from his father. He would never do it again!

Clone an army of zombie Luggs Brannigan's to patrol the bridges

Cookie_Monster

yermanoffthetv wrote: »

Clone an army of zombie Luggs Zapp Brannigan's to patrol the bridges

fyp, it'd end up much funnier

spacetweek

Furet wrote: »

LOL indeed, I mean attention deficit disorder. Obviously. (Something I apparently have myself. )

What's hilarious is that I didn't even spot your error! I'm so used to people saying AADT on this forum

Anyway, though, nothing annoys me more than "You can't punish me, I have ADD/emotional issues/was abused as a child and that's why I broke the tree/threw the rock/keyed the car." Little f**ker.

I wouldn't be in favour of covering every bridge because I think it gives the place a barracks-like feel. The new pedestrian bridges on the N4 are an example. I walked over one and felt quite claustrophobic.

Stark wrote: »

I remember years ago a driver had his chest crushed after some louts threw a concrete block off an overbridge on the N27 South Link Road in Cork City.

Same thing happened on the Westlink in Belfast a few years back too.